Role Reversal
by Sefilin
Summary: Duo falls off a cliff and wakes up somewhere he'd rather not be. Shounen-ai implications.
1. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
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Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
==========  
  
Chapter One  
  
==========  
  
  
Grinning maniacally, Duo materialised behind Quatre and   
slapped him on the back, causing the glass the blonde was   
carrying to clink against the white teeth in his mouth.  
  
"Oi, Quatre-man!"  
  
Quatre glanced at the slight red stains that now   
dotted the sleeve of his pale pink shirt and just managed to   
stop the grimace from rising to his face. He gave a resigned   
sigh before placing his wine glass on the table and putting   
a welcoming smile on his face. He turned to his friend.  
  
"Konban wa, Duo-kun. I'm glad you made it."  
  
"Yeah, took longer than we thought it would to finish off   
those OZ bastards, eh? But we're here now."  
  
"Baka," Heero stated as he moved past Duo and Quatre,   
sitting at the table where his fellow Gundam pilots were.   
The flickering light of a candle casting gentle, dancing   
shadows across the faces of Trowa, Wufei and Quatre, competing   
with the last rosy light of the sunset.  
  
They were on the balcony of a restaurant perched on top   
of a cliff, overlooking the sea. From where they were they   
could hear the waves crashing against the rocks. To one side   
the balcony opened out onto the cliff where brave souls, or   
romantic ones could stroll by moonlight and watch the   
silver-topped waves. Where you could imagine yourself all   
alone, the sound of the waves masking any evidence of other   
beings.  
  
Duo stuck his tongue out at his partner's profile then   
moved to the seat next to him, pulling the chair out from   
under the table and moving both it and himself back in with   
a noisy scuffle. He stretched his arms above his head then   
turned his attention back to his blonde colleague.  
  
"So what's to eat? I'm starving."  
  
Quatre smiled tolerantly and gestured for a hovering   
waiter who seemed to have been assigned exclusively to their   
table.  
  
"We're all here now. May we see the menu?"  
  
"Hai, Winner-san."  
  
Red leather menus bound with gold silk chords were   
passed out to the pilots who proceeded to peruse them, Duo   
muttering to himself as he skimmed quickly through the   
restaurant's offerings.   
  
Five minutes later, the five boys had ordered and   
were sitting back awaiting their fare when Duo spoke up.  
  
"Hey, why are we here? What's with the fancy   
restaurant and all?" He looked to Quatre again, recalling   
the blonde's invitation to join him at this cliff-top   
restaurant for dinner, before heading off to his nearest   
estate until their next mission orders arrived.  
  
"It's his birthday," Trowa managed to state before   
Quatre had the chance to say anything.  
  
Duo blinked for a moment then began to get all   
worked up.  
  
"Eh? Why didn't you tell us earlier, Trowa-man? You   
may have been able to get him a present but we couldn't.   
Shoulda let us known."  
  
Quatre smiled sweetly at Duo, "It's okay, Duo-kun,   
I didn't want any presents anyway."  
  
"Bu-aaaagh!"  
  
Duo's next exclaimation was cut off by the hand that   
wrapped around the end of his braid and jerked sharply.  
  
"Whaddya do that for, Heero?" he grumbled a little,   
"Jerk."  
  
But it had the effect of keeping Duo from talking too   
loudly for the next few moments and then their dinner had   
arrived and they all settled down to eat.  
  
It was halfway through desert when they were   
interrupted by angry shouts somewhere to the left of the   
restaurant. Turning their attention in that direction,   
they saw a number of small, shadowy figures running up the   
headland next to the cliff that fell away below them. There   
was one figure out in front, obviously being chased by the   
others.  
  
The closer the small group got, the clearer the   
shouts became.  
  
"Thief! Stop thief!"  
  
A shot rang out, a tiny burst of fire exploding from   
the barrel of a gun.  
  
The diners at the restaurant stirred uneasily at the   
sound. As soon as it became clear the thief wasn't going to   
stop, and that he was heading directly for the restaurant, a   
number of the patrons rose with the intention of moving.   
Many of them, by the way they were acting, had obviously only   
heard about the war on television. For them, this was the   
closest they had ever been to violence.  
  
A few more shots were heard, each one closer than the   
last until one of the pursuers angrily shouted to stop. The   
pursued reached the restaurant and vaulted up the stairs   
onto the balcony.  
  
The Gundam pilots all watched, with varying degrees of   
interest as the thief, a boy not much younger than themselves,   
looked wildly around.  
  
His eyes, glittering ferally in the candlelit darkness   
caught ahold of Duo's. A flash of empathy, of recognition   
and the boy was running in their direction. All of them   
stood quickly, setting themselves in fighting positions.  
  
Duo stood with his back to the rail, watching the boy   
head for him. He knew why the boy had chosen him of everyone   
there to head for. Duo knew what it was like to be in that   
position, running from the authorities who would kill you   
for stealing something as small as bread. Something needed   
for survival.  
  
When the boy was but two feet away he stopped and   
looked at Duo, thrusting his hands outwards. Duo reflexively   
tightened his fingers around the cloth-covered object thrust   
in his direction and then the boy was turning away to run.  
  
Then he was thrown back, crashing hard into Duo who,   
now off-balance, also went backwards towards the rail   
bordering the balcony. He hit and felt himself bending over   
it, momentum still pushing him outwards. With his hands   
occupied he couldn't make a grab for the rail. He flipped   
over and began to fall. It was then that he registered the   
sound of the gunshot that must have hit the boy, causing him   
to knock Duo off balance.   
  
He watched in disbelief as the sea rushed quickly   
upwards, growing at an alarming pace. From somewhere above   
him he heard someone yell his name, sounding as shocked as   
he was beginning to feel. But he wasn't paying enough   
attention to tell who it was since he was currently focussed   
on the glowing waves below him. The ones that were   
rapidly getting closer.   
  
He had heard it said that your life flashed before   
your eyes when you were about to die. Duo idly wondered if   
the person who came up with that saying had ever been in a   
life-threatening situation. The only thing Duo was thinking   
as he fell was 'Now I won't get to finish that chocolate   
cake.'  
  
Whatever it was he had been carrying also seemed to   
have disappeared. He vaguely recalled it falling past him   
which made him wonder if he was stronger than he looked   
since only something heavier than him could have gotten there   
ahead of him.  
  
A second before he would have struck the inky water   
and the rocks hidden beneath there was a brilliant flash of   
light.   
  
All of a sudden something in the back of his mind   
snapped into awareness and Duo shut his eyes in instinctive   
reaction. A pressure built up behind his eyes and then, he   
disappeared.   
  
==========  
  
Duo's eyes remained clenched shut as he slowly realised   
he was no longer falling, that no longer was the wind rushing   
by his ears or his braid flapping wildly above him. In fact,   
he felt warm and seemed to be hugging someone. Well, it was   
more of a glomp, but the sentiment was much the same.   
  
As soon as this fact finally registered with Duo his   
face relaxed, as did his hold on the person next to him. He   
opened his eyes and blinked at the bare arm in front of his   
face.  
  
No sooner had he done this when he was shoved away from   
the body and, before he knew what was happening, a fist slammed   
into his face sending him crashing to the ground a few feet   
away.  
  
Duo moaned as he raised himself onto his elbows. He   
glared at the dark-haired pilot standing above him, whose   
hands were still clenched into fists. The look in his eyes...  
  
Duo's heart clenched at the contempt there, the   
hostility and anger at not being able to control something.   
It was a stronger version of the look he saved for Relena   
whenever she turned up and it was the only thing that made   
Duo feel sorry for her, even if she'd never even *recognised*   
it. He had been glad that it was not directed at him, glad   
that he would never have to worry about it, but now...   
  
Duo got a hold of himself and slipped on the familiar   
joker's mask that still hid so much of himself at times, even   
if he had been opening up to Heero a little. Cautiously he   
felt his face, grimacing at the feel of blood flowing from   
his nose. "Oi man, whatcha do that for? You could have   
broken my nose, y'know."  
  
Heero's eyes flashed angrily and his other hand   
clenched, "I told you to fucking stop following me. I swear   
the next time I see you, I'm going to kill you."  
  
Another voice intruded, "I know how much you'd like to,   
Heero, I'd like to do the same. But you know we can't, he's   
too important."  
  
Duo, still frowning from Heero's unusually harsh tone   
of voice, turned to the new speaker.  
  
His jaw dropped.  
  
"Relena?!"  
  
At least it *looked* like Relena. Sort of. The girl   
now standing next to Heero had the same eye colour, hair   
colour and build as Relena, but the similarities stopped there.  
  
Normally she had blonde hair that hung below her shoulders   
and wore annoyingly perfect outfits or her Sank Kingdom uniform.  
  
But now her hair was cut short and she wore jeans and   
a t-shirt, clothes that were much more casual and sloppy than   
anything he'd ever seen her wear.  
  
"What did you do to your hair?"  
  
Relena gave him a look, out of worldy cornflower blue eyes,   
generally reserved for those considered crazy and did not deign   
to answer.  
  
"Heero's been asking you to leave him alone for ages now.   
He's not gay, he's not interested in you and he's *my* boyfriend.   
Leave us alone."  
  
Duo blinked getting the feeling he was missing something   
really important, he just couldn't quite grasp what that was.  
  
Then blood touched his lips and with another grimace of   
disgust, he used his sleeve to wipe the worst of it off before   
lying back on the ground and staring up at the sky.   
  
A toe nudged him in the side.   
  
"Julian?"  
  
Duo swivelled his eyes in the direction of the toe and   
looked at Relena, "Yeah? What do you want?"  
  
"Are you going to leave?"  
  
Duo stared at her short hair for a few moments then   
shrugged, "Dunno."  
  
Relena frowned and sent a glance in Heero's direction,   
"You didn't hit him any harder than you usually do, did you?"  
  
"No."  
  
All of a sudden Duo sat up.  
  
"Wait a sec. What did you call me?"  
  
Relena looked at him strangely again, "Julian. Why?"  
  
"Why? That's my line. Eh, man, this is weird." Duo fell   
back to the ground again and began mumbling to himself, "Julian?   
What kind of name is that? And what the hell is going on. One   
minute I'm falling down a hundred foot cliff and the next I'm,   
like, in the twilight zone or something. Julian... huh."  
  
"What are you talking about, idiot?"  
  
Duo turned his attention back to the pair above him and   
demanded, "Why did you call me Julian?"  
  
"Why? Because it's your name?"  
  
Duo bounced to his feet, "But that's just it. My name is   
Duo. D. U. O. Duo. Definately not something stupid like   
Julian." Duo spat the name out and snorted. "Nope, ain't no way   
I'm a Julian."  
  
Relena looked at Heero again, worry lurking in her eyes,   
"Are you sure you didn't hit him harder than usual, Heero?"  
  
Duo finally noticed the clothes he was wearing and began   
to swear under his breath as he took a look at the buckles on   
his shoes, the white stockings and lavender trouser-things he   
was wearing. And then there was his jacket. It looked exactly   
like Relena's did. But he could handle that, they were only   
clothes, even if they were as far as you could get from his   
usual black priest's outfit.  
  
He reached a hand behind his back to snag his braid,   
something that always comforted him in times of stress. Then   
he screamed.  
  
"My hair! What happened to my hair!? Oh shit, where   
is it!?" His hand groped behind him and he whirled, trying   
to get it to swing out behind him as it normally did.   
  
Nothing.  
  
Duo moaned pitifully, "This has _got_ to be a dream, nah,   
a nightmare. Heero doesn't like me, Relena's..." he shot a   
disgusted look at Relena, "I'm wearing something that looks like   
the bloody frosting on a cake with buckles, _buckles_ on my shoes   
and my _fucking_ _hair_ _is_ _gone_!" Duo's voice rose as he   
continued ranting until he was yelling.   
  
Suddenly he bent his head, dropping it into his hands and   
moaned again. "My hair, why did it have to be my hair. It took   
me _years_ to grow it that long and now, poof! it's gone.   
Someone really doesn't like me. Stupid cosmic jokes."  
  
"What's wrong with him?"  
  
Duo looked up and found himself looking at a petite   
Chinese girl, dressed similarly to Relena, staring at him   
strangely. He stared back for a moment before turning his gaze   
to the other two people who had just arrived on the scene.  
  
It was Trowa and Quatre. He looked them over, thought   
briefly about throwing himself in Quatre's arms and wailing   
hysterically when he noticed the slightly worried look in their   
eyes.   
  
"Who screamed?" Trowa's voice sounded the same.  
  
Relena and Heero, now watching him like he was a highly   
unstable lunatic gestured in his direction.  
  
Quatre frowned, "What's the matter, Julian?"  
  
Duo stared a little longer then snapped, "Aaaagh! I can't   
take this!" He jumped up, sent a last sweeping gaze across the   
two girls and three guys then turned found a tree and immediately   
began knocking his head against it.  
  
"Julian? Are you okay?" A feminine voice with a slight   
accent asked in concern.  
  
Duo whirled around and found himself confronted with the   
Chinese girl, "NO! Duo! _I_ _am_ _DUO!_" His breath coming   
in short gasps, Duo stared at the girl.   
  
The scene froze for a few minutes, long enough for Duo to   
notice the others standing in a rough semi-circle around them.   
He moaned softly, "Wake up, man. This is a just a nightmare,   
wake up."   
  
When nothing happened he slumped back against the tree   
and slid till he was sitting, his knees drawn up to his chest.   
He bowed his head and tried to shut everything out, tried to   
convince him that when next he opened his eyes everything would   
be back to normal.  
  
A hand was tentatively laid on his shoulder, "Jul..." Duo   
flinched and the Chinese girl stopped, collected herself and   
started again, "Um, Duo? What's wrong?"  
  
Duo didn't reply.  
  
Looking helplessly up at her companions she wondered what   
to do next. Being the only one of the pilots who could really   
stand Julian Peacecraft, it was left to her to do the approaching.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The soft question recalled her attention to the boy   
hunched at the base of the tree, "Eh?"  
  
Violet eyes, half-covered by messy bangs looked up at her,   
"Who are you? The others I know, but you... I've never seen   
you before?"  
  
Somewhat taken aback, she looked at him in disbelief,   
"What do you mean?"  
  
A slight chuckle emerged and a gleam of amusement appeared   
briefly in his eyes. "I have no idea who you are."  
  
Before she had a chance to answer, Relena spoke up, "You   
know, if you forget your friends you'll soon be without any,   
_Julian_."  
  
Duo looked past the Chinese girl and looked at the blonde,   
"And you're as much of a bitch as ever, eh, Relena?"   
  
Relena hissed, "At least I'm not a brainless pervert who   
goes around stalking people and endangering missions and who   
can't take no for an answer!"  
  
Duo sighed, "Man does that sound familiar..."   
  
A smirk appeared on his lips as he looked at her with   
meaning.  
  
Heero snarled and took a step forwards, his hand clenching   
into a fist.   
  
The violet eyes turned to him and... fractured. Pain   
and vulnerability appeared there and Duo dropped his head back   
onto his knees, shivering.  
  
The Chinese girl glared at Relena and Heero, stopping   
them from doing anything else then she smiled sadly at Duo.  
  
"I'm Chang Meiran. Pilot of Gundam Shenlong."  
  
Duo's head jerked up, "Oh man! You're Wufei's wife!?"  
  
It was Meiran's time to be shocked, she hadn't told   
anyone about her marriage, "What! How did you...?"  
  
The other pilots standing around her mirrored her   
emotion, though for a different reason.  
  
A weak laugh once again came from the boy next to her,   
"Man, when he finds out I've _met_ you, he's gonna flip."  
  
Meiran looked at him for a few more seconds bafore   
anger began to build in her. For this _boy_ to be so   
disrespectful to her late husband, to think he was alive, when   
she'd seen the body...  
  
"Oi! Does that mean I'm dead? This isn't like Heaven,"   
he broke off and shook his head, "This is Hell isn't it?   
You know that explains alot. Always knew I'd end up here if   
there was an afterlife."  
  
Meiran ignored his ranting, "How could you say that,   
Wufei's dead! You can't tell him anything. Damn it! How   
did you find out, who told you!" Her hands launched outwards   
and grabbed ahold of the lapels of his jacket, drawing him   
close to her face. "Who told you!?"  
  
"Eh, ojousan, no need to get rough. Wufei... he...   
Hmm, how do I explain this? Eh, what the heck do _I_ know   
about what's going on?"  
  
He dropped into thought, ignoring Meiran's dark eyes   
drilling into his.  
  
"Anyone know if there's such a thing as alternate   
universes?"   
  
"What kind of stupid question is that, baka?"  
  
Duo looked disgustedly at Relena, "A _valid_ one in my   
case, I think. It could explain this. Maybe. Hey! That   
thingy that the guy gave me, maybe it was a dimensional portal   
or something and when it hit the rocks, BANG, it activates and,   
POOF, I'm sent to this weird place where everything's all   
wrong. Well, except maybe Trowa and Quatre, they still seem   
the same. Hmm, I wonder if Trieze and Zechs and OZ and   
everything is the same? And if I'm Relena and she's... Hey,   
ojousan, are you like, a Gundam pilot?"  
  
Relena, with eyes slightly wide from the monologue that   
had just emerged from Duo's lips without pause for breath,   
nodded.  
  
"Deathscythe?"  
  
The nod came again and Duo went slightly green.  
  
"Hey, Meiran, Wufei was, like, the pilot of Shenlong   
where I, er, came from. And if Relena's the pilot of   
Deathscythe and everything else is reversed and I'm, ugh, a   
Peacecraft, then does that mean she's my... NAH. Can't be,   
nope, no way, no how. Un uh!" He shook his head emphatically.  
  
"Wait, Jul-Duo. What do you mean Wufei's the pilot   
where you come from?"  
  
Duo grinned, his spirits restored at the knowledge that   
this couldn't possibly be his world, and sprang to his feet.   
"That's why I asked about the alternate world-universe stuff.   
Where I come from, Wufei is Shenlong's pilot, Relena's the   
Queen of the World and a Peacecraft to boot, Heero hates her   
guts and _I'm_ the pilot of Shinigami! There can't possibly   
be another explaination that fits, so you see, it's gotta be   
an alternate universe."  
  
Pleased with his reasoning, Duo set about making himself   
more comfortable, enjoying the bewildered and shocked looks on   
the faces of the people standing around him.  
  
He shrugged out of his jacket and undid the cravat he'd   
been wearing, tossing them to the ground. He sat down to take   
off his buckled shoes, which he glared at before tossing over   
his shoulder. He pulled off his stockings and undid the   
button that held the cuffs of his kneelength trouser-things   
together then sat back and sighed in relief. Ah, that was   
better.  
  
He still wished he was wearing his usual black, but   
he could deal with this for a while. He had, after all,   
worn stranger things in the course of his short life.  
  
Ignoring the people still standing around him he   
leaned back against the tree and began to think.  
  
How exactly was he going to get home?  
  
==========  
  
Later that evening, Duo was sitting watching Trowa   
and Meiran sharing the cooking duties and listening to them   
talk. He'd never heard Trowa so eloquent before, well,   
eloquent for him anyway.   
  
Meiran had pretty much been appointed his guardian   
until the rest of them decided what to do with him. Heero   
had been all for sending him back to his brother, deposed   
King of the Sanq Kingdom. Duo had vehemently refused. He'd   
then gone on to ask who his supposed brother was, since as   
far as he knew he was an orphan.  
  
He'd been rather surprised when they showed him a   
picture of a _really_ good-looking guy with long blonde   
hair and eyes almost as gorgeous as Heero's. Duo caught   
himself before he went any further; this was meant to be   
his brother after all. You weren't meant to drool over   
your brother, no matter how good-looking they were.  
  
He'd spent the remainder of the afternoon listening   
to Meiran tell stories about some the missions she'd been   
on. He'd reciprocated by telling her either his version   
of the equivalent mission, if he'd been on it, or of a  
different one.  
  
Much of their time was spent arguing the merits of   
his mission over the her's or vice versa. He'd had a   
surprising amount of fun and was looking forwards to   
getting to know her better. He could understand why Wufei   
had chosen to call his Gundam Nataku, the same way Meiran   
had hers.  
  
Duo's nose twitched as the meal preparations   
progressed and he drew in a deep breath in appreciation.   
He hoped there was enough for him.  
  
He placed his arms on the breakfast bar that   
separated the kitchen from the dining room and rested his   
chin on them.  
  
Heero and Relena had obviously been avoiding him all   
afternoon. He was slightly depressed by that but decided   
he wasn't going to let it bother him. It wasn't _his_   
Heero so he couldn't complain, particularly if he'd really   
been as bad as Relena was in his own dimension.  
  
"Duo, dinner's ready. Could you go and call Heero   
and Relena? They're probably in Heero's room, second door   
on your left at the top of the stairs."  
  
Duo grinned and nodded, hopping off the stool and   
bounding off in the direction of the stairs.   
  
He reached the top of the stairs by leaping up as   
many as he could at a time. He almost fell once and the   
increased pace of his heart felt good. Duo laughed at   
himself knowing he was nervous over seeing this Heero.   
Even if he did know this one was different from his own,   
it still hurt when Heero looked at him with disgust. And   
combined with Relena's patronising gaze...  
  
He paused briefly at the top of the stairs,   
balancing on one foot, what was with her anyway. You'd   
expect that having grown up in an orphanage she wouldn't   
be quite as stuck up. Duo sighed and shrugged it off, he   
supposed he'd met arrogant orphans before.  
  
Stopping outside the second door on the left, Duo   
found his mind snared by a memory he hadn't had for years.  
  
In his mind's eye he saw a small boy with hair as   
tidy as possible for an orphanage where water was rationed.   
Peter Merryweather.  
  
Duo scowled and knocked on the door in front of him,   
"Oi! Meiran said dinner's ready."  
  
He turned without flinging the door open and yelling   
in the occupants face's, still bound in the memory and   
somewhat scared about seeing what the couple inside were   
doing.  
  
Peter had been a brat. None of the grown-ups had   
known that, except maybe Sister Helen and Father Maxwell   
who seemed to be able to see through everyone. He'd been   
a stuck up, arrogant boy who'd spent half his time being   
adorable for the benefit of adults and the other half   
being downright nasty to the other kids.  
  
He wasn't sure why thoughts of Relena had called him   
to mind, apart from the fact that their colouring was   
similar and they both came across as superior. In their   
minds anyway.  
  
But he was being unfair to Relena. She, at least,   
was oblivious to a lot of her superciliousness due to her   
obsessive nature. He had a feeling Relena would actually   
be shocked if someone told her she was a snob.  
  
Duo shook off his thoughts as he sat at the dining   
table between Quatre and Meiran and decided that since   
life was short he may as well have fun. It was a sentiment   
he often repeated to himself to stay sane and it was the   
only thing that worked.  
  
He knew Heero had often thought he was hiding behind   
a mask when he laughed all the time, and to a certain degree   
he was, but there was more to it than that. He actually   
_was_ happy when he laughed. He'd conditioned himself that   
way and it wasn't something he wanted to change because he   
_liked_ being happy.   
  
Sure there were times when he was too sad or angered   
or _broken_ to smile sincerely - like earlier - but there   
was always something else out there worth smiling about.   
Such an outlook was really great for situations such as the   
one he now found himself in.  
  
Duo laughed out loud at the depressingly   
philosophical turn his thoughts had taken then caught   
himself when he caught the looks the others were giving him.   
He shrugged at them and, complimenting Meiran and Trowa   
effusively on the meal, he dug in.  
  
"So, um, _Duo_, how long do you think before you go   
home?"  
  
Duo caught the stress placed on his name as Relena   
questioned him, still as disbelieving as she'd been that   
afternoon. He couldn't really blame her, he had trouble   
believing it himself whenever he actually thought about it.  
  
Duo looked across the table at the blonde and frowned,   
"I don't know. I can't really even remember how I got   
here or anything. I mean, there I was, having dinner with   
the other pilots, that's Quatre, Trowa, Wufei and Heero,   
when this young kid comes running up to me and shoves   
something into my hands. He's being followed by a whole   
pile of goons with big guns. So the kid takes off again,   
but before he gets anywhere he comes flying into me and I   
go flying off the balcony."  
  
" _Then_ I hear the 'BANG!'," Duo curled his fingers   
into a gun and pointed them in Relena's direction to clarify,   
"Of the gun that obviously got him. So, the next thing I   
know, I'm flying backwards off the cliff and there's the   
water below me, crashing against rocks and frothing and   
stuff. And I was falling pretty fast but I got a decent   
look at them since they were getting closer and all. Looked   
really pretty with the moonlight playing on the waves."  
  
Duo picked up his glass of water and took a sip then   
another, dragging out the moment. Quatre and Meiran were   
looking fascinated, Relena was impatiently waiting for him   
to get to the point and starting to wonder whether he was   
telling the truth, Trowa was as impassive as ever and Heero   
was starting to look bored. Duo sighed.  
  
"Anyway there was this flash just before I hit the   
rocks and when next I open my eyes I'm looking at Heero's   
arm wondering who the hell I'm hanging onto." He took a   
deep breath, "So y'see, Relena, I don't even know how I   
got here so it's kind of hard to say how or when I'm going   
to be able to go back."  
  
There was silence for a few moments as the Gundam   
pilots took in Duo's words. Even Heero was looking a   
little thoughtful.  
  
Trowa shifted on his seat, "We should let Milliard   
know."  
  
Everyone's attention turned to him then Meiran nodded,   
"Yes, we should. He's probably worried about Julian, or   
soon will be."  
  
"Milliard?"  
  
Quatre smiled gently at Duo, "Your br - um, Julian's   
brother."  
  
Duo blinked then grinned sheepishly, "Oh, yeah.   
Forgot."  
  
"But what do we tell him? We don't even know where   
Julian is, or even if he's still alive."  
  
Duo looked at Relena in surprise. He'd been certain   
she'd remain stubborn about not believing him, and had   
been even more certain she wouldn't help.  
  
"He might be in Duo's world," Heero suggested.  
  
"Or still in his own body but... shut away or something?   
And Duo's the one in control, now."  
  
After Quatre voiced the possibility everyone turned to   
stare at Duo, who began to fidget before finally bursting out   
with; "How would I know! It's not as if I can feel him or   
hear him or anything."   
  
"But is it possible?"  
  
Duo stared at the blonde then sighed. He lifted a   
hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Yes. I guess it   
is possible. About as possible as him being back in my   
world."   
  
Duo's hand stopped moving then he looked up wildly,   
his violet-blue eyes fierce, "If I get back there and find   
out he's done anything with my Heero, I swear I'll..." his   
voice trailed off as he stared at a point on the wall above   
Relena's head.  
  
He didn't notice Heero's slightly uncomfortable gaze   
skitter away from Relena's blue eyes or the tiny smile that   
curved the girl's lips at her boyfriend's reaction. Heero   
was so shy sometimes.  
  
Into the silence, Meiran sent a query, "So, first   
thing tomorrow we contact Milliard Peacecraft and let him   
know?"   
  
Duo once again found himself the centre of attention,   
and mumbled an affirmative, "Yeah, sure. Probably a good   
idea and all that."  
  
Meiran and Quatre nodded, satisfied and returned their   
attention to their dinner. Heero and Trowa followed suit.  
  
Relena looked around the table, noticing Duo was still   
glaring at the wall, "Duo, your food's getting cold."  
  
Duo started and pulled his gaze downwards to Relena.   
She smiled at him, picked up her chopsticks and calmly began   
eating.  
  
Watching her carefully, Duo finally came to a decision.   
He took a bite of food and, catching Relena's eyes, smiled   
back.  
  
This Relena wasn't the one he was used to. This Relena   
was one he thought that, maybe, could be a friend.  
  
==Owari, Chapter One==  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Two  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Quatre quietly opened the door to the bedroom Heero and   
Duo shared, taking in the still form of the Japanese pilot   
lying stretched out on his bed. His arms were folded beneath   
his head and his eyes were focussed on the ceiling, still   
wide open despite the lateness of the hour.  
  
"Heero? Daijobu desu ka?"  
  
Heero flicked his eyes in the direction of the door and   
regarded his fellow pilot silently for a moment, "Aa."  
  
His gaze turned back to the ceiling.  
  
Quatre watched, wondering what was going through Heero's   
mind, wondering how much Duo had meant to him. All of the   
pilots had been startled by the events that had led to Duo   
falling off the cliff and by the act of falling itself. He'd   
seen Trowa and Wufei jump towards the railings, just behind   
Heero and he himself was there as well, yelling after the   
falling pilot.  
  
He let himself into the room and walked across to the   
Japanese pilot, knowing he had to help if he could, but unsure   
how to go about it.  
  
If it had been daytime, all four of them would be out   
looking, hoping that maybe Heero's indestructibility had rubbed   
off onto Duo somehow. But it was dark and they could do nothing   
but wait.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Heero jerked upright and glared at Quatre, suddenly very   
angry, "I'm fine!"  
  
"Heero..." Quatre rocked backwards, startled.  
  
The other boy continued to glare, then all the anger, the   
fire drained out of him and he slumped back onto the bed, "I'm   
fine, Quatre. I just... want to be alone." The last few words   
came out almost too softly for Quatre to hear.   
  
"O-okay. But, Heero? If you need anything, to talk..."  
  
"Quatre."   
  
The blonde sighed, "I know, you may not want to, but if   
you _need_ to, we're here, okay? All of us, me, Trowa, Wufei.   
We're here."  
  
When no reply came, Quatre stood and made his way to the   
door.  
  
"Quatre?"  
  
He paused and turned back to Heero.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Quatre smiled gently, "Any time, Heero. I'll see you   
later."  
  
Closing the door behind him, he made his way to the   
living room where Trowa and Wufei were sitting, half asleep.   
He looked at them and smiled again, "I think we should all go   
to bed, ne? We need some sleep."  
  
Trowa looked at him, something soft in his visible eye   
and Wufei yawned as he stood.   
  
"Hai. Sleep," The Chinese pilot headed for his room,   
pausing briefly at the door, "Is he... alright?"  
  
Quatre nodded slowly, "I think he'll be okay for now."  
  
"Good."   
  
Trowa and Quatre watched, slightly surprised, as Wufei   
left the room.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Mmm."  
  
Quatre smiled at his partner and shrugged, "He cares."  
  
"Mmm."  
  
Quatre laughed a little, "Shall we go to bed?"  
  
Trowa stood and, motioning for the blonde to go first,   
the two made their way to the room they shared.  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Duo stared at the ceiling from where he lay on the couch.   
He traced the borders of the panels that made it and counted each   
tile. An estimated forty-two and a half in all, taking into   
account the half-tiles at the edges.   
  
Unfortunately there weren't enough to put him to sleep.  
  
He'd counted them all a good ten times, row by row,   
diagonally and in a spiral towards the centre and away again.  
  
Shifting restlessly, he turned his head until he could see   
the clok and stifled a groan. 1:42am. Barely two hours since   
he'd said goodnight to the house's other occupants as they made   
their way to their rooms and beds.  
  
A lump formed in his throat at the thought of them all   
sleeping comfortably, making him wonder what Heero and the others   
from his world were doing right now.  
  
Sitting up abruptly, Duo flicked his bangs out of his eyes,   
ignoring the absence of the thick braid at his nape and tossed   
the blanket aside. He stood and stretched, swallowing past the   
lump that was still lodged in his throat before heading for the   
door that led outside into the night.  
  
Drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Duo   
stared at the clearly defined stars for a moment, then, a pained   
grin forming on his lips he began to run.  
  
Without direction and with his head bowed, keeping an eye   
on the ground, he ran until his heart was beating to a rhythm of   
excitement and his blood was rushing through his veins. His   
momentum set his hair to moving and he contemplated the feeling   
of freedom that came from an absence of hair.  
  
When he had finally run himself out he stopped and bent   
over, the grin on his face now elated by the freedom he had felt.   
Resting his hands on his thighs, he took deep gulps of the cool   
night air until his heart had slowed down enough to be comfortable.  
  
Flopping onto the ground, he placed his hands against his   
flushed cheeks enjoying the sensation of cold and hot, especially   
with the blood still pumping madly throughout his body.  
  
Laughing breathlessly to himself, Duo wriggled his bare toes   
in the soft, cold grass and, flinging his arms outwards, lay back   
on the grass, closing his eyes.  
  
"Ah, Heero..." His smile remained as he finally drifted off   
into oblivion.   
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Relena sat staring out the window of her limousine as   
she drove away from the beach house where the Gundam pilots   
had all been staying. She was a little upset.  
  
Heero had ignored her, Wufei had glared at her, Trowa   
had _looked_ at her and Quatre had been short with her. He'd   
never spoken to her like that before. Relena had been on the   
point of moving past Quatre to get to Heero when Trowa had   
shaken his head.   
  
She'd been told that Duo was missing and that maybe she   
should leave for a while, just until things calmed down a   
little.  
  
Looking into the dead green eyes of the tall pilot,   
she'd seen a flash of grief and had swallowed the comments   
she'd been about to make, knowing some things were more   
important than speaking with Heero.  
  
She'd wanted to stay, even though none of the pilots   
were encouraging it, to give back to Heero the strength he'd   
given her after her father's death.   
  
She'd managed to talk Heero into letting her help with   
the search, managing to get across to him how sincere she was   
about helping.   
  
Two pairs of eyes were better than one, she'd said and   
Heero had let her go with him. So she'd sat quietly beside   
him as he'd flown patrols up and down the coast, following   
the tides and watching for anything that resembled a person.  
  
It had surprised her how dedicated Heero was to finding   
his fellow pilot. She'd known they were friends but she'd   
expected Heero to pretend to be cold and uncaring the way he   
was with her. It was times like this when she found herself   
jealous of Duo's ability to make people smile and to make   
them care. Even she wasn't totally immune to his charm.   
  
She sighed and turned to watch the sunset play on the   
waves, wondering if Duo was out there somewhere. Wondering   
if he knew that Heero was looking for him, that he was   
important enough for Heero to want to find.  
  
"Stop the car please, Pargan."  
  
The chauffeur obediently stopped the car and turned to   
look at her, "Relena-sama?"  
  
"I think I'd like to go for a walk."  
  
Pargan nodded and exited the car, circling it to open   
her door. She smiled a little at his insistence on such small   
things, even when they were away from any audience. But he   
was loyal so she went along with it.   
  
She smiled. And she liked being pampered.  
  
Motioning for Pargan to stay with the car, she began   
slowly down the beach, heading towards the clifftop restaurant   
she knew Duo had fallen from.  
  
It was hard to believe that this could have happened to   
him. She'd seen him jump from a building before and land   
lightly on the beach below, although he had had the advantage   
of that helicopter-thing at that time. She'd always considered   
Duo a bit of an idiot, but a competent idiot. To be a Gundam   
pilot he had to be good and she was sure, if she looked hard   
enough, that there'd be a soldier behind the clown.  
  
That was what made her dislike him so much. That even   
though war was supposed to be serious, he always seemed to be   
having fun. And there were times when she wished she could   
just stop worrying about everything, the way he did.  
  
It was the same reason he disliked her, she supposed.   
  
Oh, she knew there was some hostility behind that   
cheerful grin of his, even if she ignored it in favour of   
Heero's glare.  
  
Relena decided that she'd try, once again, to gain some   
of that light-heartedness that poured off of Duo on waves. She   
sat down on the dry sand that was cooling as the sun dropped   
further towards the horizon and watched it.  
  
She contemplated the bright orange and gold of the glowing   
ball, mixed with softer purples and pinks, stretching towards   
indigo. It was beautiful, but she'd never fully been able to   
appreciate things such as a sunset, though she had no idea why.   
She proclaimed to want to save this beautiful Earth of hers, but   
it wasn't so much the Earth as the people she cared about.  
  
Watching people had always fascinated her, though she'd   
been careful to hide that in case it was taken in the wrong way.  
  
Only with Heero had she let herself sit back and enjoy, not   
minding what people thought of her fascination for his perfect   
face and gorgeous prussian blue eyes.  
  
Relena giggled, at least people excused her the crush she   
had on him. After all, regardless of her position in the peace   
process, as ruler of the Sank kingdom, she was still a fifteen-  
year-old girl.  
  
She turned her gaze away from the sunset and looked along   
the beach, hazy in the dimming golden light.  
  
She didn't realise what she was seeing until she'd been   
staring at it for long moments. Then she jumped to her feet and   
ran towards the dark shape of a human stretched out on the sand at   
the waterline.  
  
As she ran she experienced a flash of deja vu, her mind   
flashing back to finding Heero in a similar position. She   
dismissed the feeling and attributed the slight increase in heart   
rate to her running.  
  
She knelt next to the figure, knowing before she could   
clearly see it's face, that it was Duo. The long, long braid gave   
it away, along with the black clothing that was ripped and torn.  
  
Turning him over, Relena gasped at the bruising and cuts   
that covered all the exposed parts of his body. There was a long   
gash down his arm, slowly oozing blood and exposing the white of   
bone. It's angle clearly indicated that it was broken. His face   
was drawn into an expression of pain and his breathing was shallow.  
  
Somewhat nauseous, Relena laid Duo gently back on the sand   
and headed back towards the car and Pargan.  
  
==========  
  
Quatre waited at the front door of the house that the pilots   
were occupying, searching the distance for his comrades.  
  
There had been a call while they were out and they had a new   
mission. One that required all of them and was to begin immediately.  
  
Such a thing had to happen, Quatre mused to himself, they   
never seemed to have time to search for a missing pilot. They'd   
been lucky that each had turned up after a prolonged absence.   
  
This time he was not so sure that Duo would turn up, none   
the worse for wear. Without someone out looking for him, it was   
unlikely that Duo would survive.  
  
Wufei appeared from the darkness of evening and glanced at   
him questioningly as he drew nearer.  
  
Quatre nodded for him to go into the house, "I'll tell you   
when the others are here."  
  
Wufei nodded and entered the house, moving around Quatre.  
  
Minutes later, Trowa also arrived, giving his lover a tiny   
smile as he passed through the door.   
  
Heero didn't arrive till much later and Quatre's heart ached   
at the weariness etched across his features. The Wing pilot had   
been searching since first light, only stopping for nourishment at   
midday, which had been when Relena had arrived. Then he'd spent   
the afternoon in her company, searching tirelessly once more.  
  
Now, darkness once again stopped him from searching and he   
wasn't going to be able to continue the next day.   
  
He had come back with the expectation of being able to   
collapse away from everyone and everything, but with this mission   
cropping up... Quatre hoped Heero would be able to concentrate on   
the mission.  
  
Heero ignored Quatre as he walked into the house, glancing   
briefly at the other two pilots gathered in the living room before   
heading for the kitchen.   
  
"There's some tea here, if you want it, Heero," Wufei   
commented, indicating the tea set on the table and the four cups   
surrounding it.  
  
Heero hesitated then nodded, "Aa. Arigatou."  
  
Wufei nodded in acknowledgement and poured a cup for the   
Japanese pilot who took it and looked to be heading in the direction   
of his room.  
  
"Heero! Wait, there's something I have to tell you," Quatre   
managed, catching the tired blue eyes and suggesting he take a seat   
without saying a word. "It involves all of us."  
  
Quatre took a deep breath before continuing, "We have a new   
mission. It's in Mogadishu and we start right away so we have to   
leave tonight."  
  
Silence.  
  
"How many of us are needed?"  
  
Quatre looked at his lover, noticing the anguish in his eyes   
at the idea of leaving a comrade behind and shrugged, "All of us.   
And without Duo..."  
  
Heero's head dropped forwards, his bangs totally obscuring   
Quatre's view of his eyes. Then he sighed and ran a hand through   
those bangs. Everyone's attention turned to him, each of them   
knowing they wouldn't force him to come if he chose not to. And   
also knowing he would go, whether he wanted to or not.  
  
Heero stood and made his way through the door that lead to   
the bedrooms, telling the other three by the set of his shoulders   
that he was going on the mission, resolving to leave without news   
of Duo.  
  
Quatre looked at Trowa and Wufei who looked back.  
  
"Well, I guess we'd better get ready then."  
  
==========  
  
Relena's fingernails tapped impatiently against the desktop as   
she waited for her call to go through.   
  
There was no answer.  
  
Allowing the com unit to beep for another few minutes, Relena   
finally cut the connection, wondering where the pilots had gone.   
  
She'd taken Duo directly to a hospital, where he had been   
taken into the operating theatre immediately after x-rays. He was   
bleeding on the inside, enough so that there was a danger of death,   
especially after so long spent away from medical attention.  
  
After seeing Duo into the theatre, she'd wandered around the   
hospital until she'd noticed a com unit and decided that she should   
call Heero and tell him that she'd found his fellow pilot. He'd be   
very grateful, she was sure, and would come to visit her while she   
waited for further news of the braided pilot.   
  
But there had been no answer at the house the pilots had been   
at earlier that day.  
  
Maybe they were still searching? Or maybe they'd received a   
new mission. Whatever it was, Relena couldn't get in touch and   
she'd tried often enough over the past five hours.  
  
It was drawing close to midnight and she had heard nothing   
further about the status of the American pilot, who was still   
being operated on.  
  
Relena took the chair next to Pargan once more, grateful for   
the mug of sweetened coffee he handed her silently.  
  
Sipping carefully at the steaming liquid, she looked across   
at her chauffeur and all-round assistant.  
  
"They're still not there."  
  
"Will you be staying here, Relena-sama? Or do you want me to   
bring the car around?"  
  
Relena thought longingly of her bed and a nice warm shower   
then reluctantly dismissed the idea. "I'll stay. Heero will want   
to know how he is and since there's no one else he knows here at   
the moment, it would be right for me to stay."  
  
Pargan nodded, smiling at her in approval, "Very well,   
Relena-sama. Shall I go and inquire how things are going, once   
more?"  
  
"Nn. Yes, thank you, Pargan."  
  
"It is no trouble."  
  
Relena watched Pargan approach the nurses station and talk   
quietly to the matron on duty. Then she noticed a familiar-looking   
doctor approach from down the hallway. She stood and faced him,   
full-on.  
  
"We have finished operating on your friend, Relena-sama,   
but we are still not sure what will happen. We have transferred   
him to Intensive Care."  
  
"Thank you, Rossini-sensei. May I see him?"  
  
"If you will come this way."  
  
Relena followed the doctor towards a different section of   
the hospital, shadowed by Pargan and stepped into dimly lit room   
where Duo lay, surrounded by blinking monitors.  
  
Crossing to his bedside, she gazed down at his pale, bandaged   
face. His left arm, the broken one, lay outside of the white   
hospital sheets, covered by a pristine cast.   
  
Turning back to the doctor she spoke, "What are the odds that   
he will survive?"  
  
Rossini took his glasses off and sighed, "Most of it depends   
on Mr. Maxwell himself. It's up to him to fight now, we've done   
what we can."  
  
"I see. May I come again and visit him?"  
  
The doctor looked surprised at the question, "Of course,   
Relena-sama. I shall inform the nurse you have permission to visit   
anytime you wish."  
  
Relena smiled at the doctor, "Arigatou, Rossini-sensei. You   
have my gratitude."  
  
"It's my job, I would do the same for anyone. Now, perhaps   
you should go home and get some rest. You can come back tomorrow."  
  
"Hai."  
  
So Relena went home and dropped into her bed without bath or   
shower, falling asleep immediately and dreaming of Heero coming to   
kill her and Duo falling forever down a cliff that never ended.   
  
==Owari, Chapter Two==  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Three  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Duo yawned himself awake, stretching and arching in the grass   
that had been matted by his weight. He blinked his eyes open and   
winced as the strong morning sunlight filtering through the puffy   
white clouds overhead and directly into his eyes.   
  
He sat up quickly and looked around, noting that he seemed to   
be in some sort of clearing in the middle of the forested area that   
had bordered the house where the pilots were staying.   
  
Then he noticed that his feet were cold.   
  
He snorted to himself, that's what came from not putting shoes   
on before he left on his midnight run. At least it was summer and   
the temperature was mild, not too hot, not too cold.  
  
He stumbled to his feet, running a hand through his tangled   
hair. He pulled his hand away from the short chestnut strands with   
a shock.  
  
It would take him a long time to get used to not having his   
braid.  
  
With another sigh he took a good look around and headed off   
in the direction he thought the house was in. He hoped the others   
were still asleep, though it seemed a little too much to hope for   
such a thing this late in the morning. It must have been around   
ten or eleven and back in his world all the pilots were early   
risers, so odds were it was the same here.  
  
Thanking the fact that he had a very good sense of direction,   
that worked even when he wasn't paying attention to it, he emerged   
onto the front lawn of the house and saw Meiran and Relena   
practicing martial arts.  
  
It was obvious that Meiran was doing the teaching and though   
Relena was good, it was obvious that everything she'd learnt before   
becoming the Chinese girl's student had been learnt without   
structure.   
  
Duo grinned, he'd been much the same and hadn't bothered to   
learn a different way. His way was fast, unpredictable and had   
always worked for him. Besides, all the situations where he'd   
needed such talents, that he had so far been in, had been handled   
much more easily and effectively with a gun.  
  
Still, it was nice to watch Relena being tossed around, even   
though it wasn't the Relena he'd prefer to be thrown around.  
  
"You're pretty good. You do sword, like Wu?"  
  
Both girls whirled around, Meiran using the momentum of a   
spin kick to end up facing him and Relena coming out of her ready   
position. They looked at his grinning face and rumpled,   
grass-stained clothes with surprise.  
  
Surprise that quickly turned to anger as they remembered   
the slight panic everyone had gone through that morning when they   
hadn't seen him. Relena and Heero had assumed it meant Julian had   
been joking and had headed home. Meiran, Quatre and Trowa weren't   
so sure and it had been them who'd searched the house and it's   
immediate surroundings for any clues.  
  
None had been found, apart from the abandoned bedclothes,   
shoes, stockings and tie and the panic had been put on hold until   
they decided what to do.  
  
"Where have you been, baka!" Relena asked, glaring at him.  
  
Duo blinked and looked first at one of the girls, then at   
the other. He waved his hand vaguely in the direction he'd spent   
the night, "Over there somewhere. Sorry if you guys were worried   
or anything, I didn't mean to fall asleep."   
  
Meiran's eyes narrowed then she nodded, "Just don't go off   
without telling someone."  
  
Frowning, Duo gazed back. He'd never had to report in before   
and was used to the freedom of going where he wanted, when he wanted.   
Then he recalled what information he'd been given regarding Julian   
Peacecraft and decided they were justified in wanting to know.   
Especially if he was as much of a ditz as he sounded. In fact,   
these pilots spoke about him much the way he and his own colleagues   
spoke of Relena...  
  
Balking at that line of thought, Duo made apologetic movements   
with his hands, "Sure, sure, won't happen again. So... anything left   
for breakfast?"  
  
Relena looked like she wanted to hit him, as did Meiran, though   
she was nice enough to nod.   
  
Taking that to mean he could eat, Duo grinned again and bounced   
into the house leaving a 'thanks, man!' behind.  
  
Once inside, he bumped into Quatre and Heero, both boys leaning   
over the laptop and sent them a sunny greeting. Ignoring the looks   
they sent him, he carried on into the kitchen to raid the   
refrigerator.  
  
Piling leftovers onto a plate he'd managed to scrounge up, Duo   
sat himself down at the table and dug in, fully intent on enjoying   
his breakfast. He lifted a hand in greeting when he was joined by   
the three male pilots, grinning at them as soon as he'd finished his   
mouthful.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
Looking a little pained, Quatre settled himself in the chair   
across from him and watched him eat, "Um, Duo." Quatre broke off,   
looking worse than he had a second ago. He still wasn't used to   
the name, it was... unsettling.  
  
"Yep?" it hadn't phased Duo at all.  
  
"Where were you this morning?"  
  
Duo caught the suspicion in the trio's eyes and sat back,   
almost hurt. Then he sighed, deliberately and carefully placing his   
fork to the side of a face and facing them squarely.  
  
"I couldn't sleep last night, so I went for a run. I was   
planning on coming back, but I ended up falling asleep," he paused   
for a moment and picking up his fork again, began to move the rice   
on his plate around. "I miss them, y'know. All of the guys back   
home, Noin, Sally, Hirde, Howard..." his lips quirked upwards, "I   
even miss Relena and her stalking."  
  
"What I wouldn't give to have her walk in the door just now   
and say 'Heero' in that way she has. At least then I'd know it was   
_my_ Heero."  
  
The confusion and discomfort on the faces of the three pilots   
across from him, brought him back to reality and Duo shrugged and   
smiled at them, waving his fork in their faces, "But since she's   
not going to, I thought I'd sleep outside instead."  
  
Unsure what to think, Quatre and Trowa remained silent and   
Heero took the chance to bring up a different subject.  
  
"Can you call your chauffeur?"  
  
Duo blinked, the fork halfway into his mouth. He gulped down   
the bite of rice before replying, "My what?"  
  
"Pargan. Your chauffeur."  
  
Staring at prussian blue eyes, Duo felt like banging his head   
on the table. It couldn't be. This Julian guy, his counterpart in   
this world couldn't possibly be that similar to Relena. There was   
no way he could have turned out like her... right?  
  
Duo whimpered, "A chauffeur. Shit, I'm beginning to sound   
like I'm this world's Relena. How depressing is that? I think   
I just lost my appetite."  
  
==========  
  
Duo was leaning back against a tree, waiting for the pilots   
to finish doing whatever it was they were doing. He left them to   
it, once again, reflecting on this strange situation he found himself   
in. He'd been doing it almost constantly since he had arrived and   
didn't particularly like it, but couldn't seem to stop himself.  
  
Well, it was either that or wondering what his fellow   
pilots were doing. He wondered if they were on a mission or if   
they were looking for him. He imagined what he'd say to them   
when he got back and what he'd say to them if they turned up here.  
  
Duo chuckled, thoughts diverted by the intriguing mental   
images he was getting from figuring how they would react if they   
did find themselves here. There was a stunned and weepy Wufei   
glomping an annoyed-looking Meiran, Trowa throwing his arms   
around a shocked Quatre, Quatre throwing _his_ arms around an   
equally shocked Trowa and Heero alternating between glaring at   
a miserable-looking Relena and stroking Julian's hair, lamenting   
about the disappearance of the braid.   
  
His chuckles continued as he shook his head. No way would   
any of them react like that. Or not for long anyway.  
  
"What are you laughing at, Duo?"  
  
Duo tipped his head back and looked up at Relena who was   
standing over him, silhouetted against the blue sky, "Oh, I was   
just thinking about how the other's would handle being here. I   
can just imagine Wufei's face if he saw Meiran."  
  
"Oh," she dropped to the grass next to him and made herself   
comfortable. "So you grew up on L2?"  
  
"Mm. Yeah, the original street rat. Used to steal Mobile   
Suits and everything."  
  
A smile lit Relena's face, "That sure brings back memories."  
  
"It was kind of fun, at times."   
  
"Yeah. I just wish..." Relena broke off and shook her head.   
"It would have been nice to have a family."  
  
Duo glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, "Did you   
end up at Maxwell Church?" Relena started and he took it as a   
'yes', "Same thing happened to me. Did it... did it...?"  
  
Keeping her gaze on her hands, Relena spoke softly, "Get   
destroyed? Yes. While I was out stealing Mobile Suits. Father   
Maxwell, Sister Helen, all the other kids..."  
  
The two lapsed into silence, recalling memories that were   
remarkably similar to one another, no matter how far apart they   
occurred.  
  
Then Duo laughed deprecatingly, "It's depressing dwelling   
on sad memories. So, you hooked up with the Professor after   
that?"  
  
"Not straight away. I spent some time working for some   
guy as messenger. I reminded him of his daughter, so I had it   
good. He protected me as well as he could and I made enough   
money to survive on. He was a sweet old guy. I was with him   
for about a year before he died as well. Then I met the   
Professor and Deathscythe."  
  
"And fell in love?" Duo grinned.  
  
Relena returned his grin, eyes locked with Duo as   
understanding blossomed between the two of them, "And I fell in   
love..."  
  
"Deathscythe..." the two sighed it at the same time,   
hands clasped in a parody of adoration then burst out laughing.   
  
"I LOVE that Gundam."  
  
"Same here. And you're not so bad yourself, Duo Maxwell."  
  
Duo jumped to his feet when Quatre and Meiran appeared at   
the door. He turned and offered a hand to Relena, pulling her   
up as well, "I like you too, Relena..." he paused, then shrugged   
and continued, "Maxwell."  
  
==========  
  
Quatre watched Duo carefully as they drove up the drive that   
led to the Peacecraft mansion.  
  
The other boy had been fine when they'd set out on the trip,   
brushing off meeting Julian's brother as nothing important. But   
the closer they'd got the more he had fidgeted, his hands twisting   
around themselves and his hand reaching constantly for the braid he   
assured them should be there.  
  
The blonde had no idea what was going on in the other's head,   
because even though his face was mobile and his body eloquent, he   
wasn't saying anything to them. Quatre had never seen anything   
like it before. It was just noise, which hid what he was really   
thinking and feeling more effectively than the expressionless   
masks Trowa and Heero habitually wore.  
  
But there was definitely something getting to him. It could   
be the bickering that he and Relena were currently engaged in, but   
for some reason he didn't think so.  
  
"You're an idiot."  
  
"And you're any less of one? Get real, Relena. Just because   
I don't remember a com number I've never known? I've never had a   
chauffeur before and I'm not about to start now."  
  
"I _still_ think you're bluffing about all of this. There   
is no such thing as an alternate universe. And even if there was,   
there's no way you could switch world's just like that."  
  
"Yeah, well I _wish_ there wasn't such a thing..."   
  
Duo continued muttering something under his breath that   
Relena apparently heard and took offense at. And if he'd said   
anything like what Quatre suspected he had, it was with reason.  
  
Quatre knew Relena actually believed Duo. There was no way   
the loud-mouthed, manic personality currently inhabiting Julian's   
body _was_ Julian. The Peacecraft had neither the acting ability   
or street experience Duo did.  
  
There was also the fact that Julian normally ignored Relena   
whenever she was in his vicinity, whereas Duo was more focussed   
on her than anyone else, though he did devote a reasonable amount   
of time to Meiran and watching Heero.  
  
It was obvious that Duo really liked the small Chinese   
girl and Quatre hoped that he wouldn't spoil the relationship   
that was ever so slowly developing between her and the stoic   
pilot of Heavyarms. The two of them were good for each other,   
even though Quatre occasionally had to bury the occasional burst   
of jealousy towards the girl.  
  
He hoped that, for all concerned, Duo really was stuck   
on the Heero from his world as that was unlikely to make a mess   
in this one.  
  
The vehicle they'd been driving in drew to a halt outside   
the imposing front door of the Peacecraft mansion and Meiran,   
Trowa, Quatre and Heero climbed out in relief. Quatre and Meiran   
had chosen not to interfere with Relena and Duo which had made   
things tense throughout the drive.  
  
Duo bounced out after them, followed by the blonde girl   
who looked at the four already standing there. They glanced at   
one another and their eyes caught. Blue-violet and cornflower   
began to sparkle and the two grinned at each other.  
  
"That was fun," remarked Duo to the girl.  
  
"Sure. Have to do it again sometime," she replied.  
  
Laughing a little, Duo nodded, "Need a bigger audience   
though."  
  
"I'll see what I can do."  
  
Baffled, Quatre raised an eyebrow at them.  
  
Meiran eyed them tolerantly and Heero glared, hating that   
he didn't understand his girlfriend, before turning to the door   
and heading up the steps, gesturing for the others to follow.  
  
The door opened before they were halfway up and a tall   
young man with long blonde hair appeared in the entrance-way.   
He sent a swift glance across them all before stopping on Duo.   
His eyes widened as he took in the casual state of Duo's   
clothing and whatever he was about to say was left unsaid as he   
focussed on more important matters.  
  
"Julian? What did you do to yourself?"  
  
Before Duo could reply, Quatre stepped forwards,   
"Milliard-san, before anything else, um, there's something we   
need to tell you."  
  
"No shit," Duo grinned. "Hey, man."  
  
Milliard's jaw dropped a millimetre.  
  
Duo drew closer, the shine of curiosity in his eyes as   
he circled the older man, then he looked over at Quatre, "Yep,   
very cute. But not as cute as me."  
  
Shocked at this opinion of his brother... Julian's brother,   
Quatre nodded slowly back.  
  
Milliard was in much the same state.   
  
==========  
  
Milliard had been shocked enough when his usually   
immaculate brother had turned up with the five infamous Gundam   
pilots in tow, looking like he'd spent the night rolling around   
on the grass.  
  
He'd then offered a grin the likes of which he'd never seen,   
_sworn_, which was something else he'd never done and then... and   
then...  
  
He'd checked him out.  
  
Milliard knew he was cute, though beautiful might have   
been a more accurate term. He'd even been told so by males as   
well as females, but for his younger brother to just walk up to   
him and say that, appreciatively, as though it was the most   
natural thing in the world...  
  
There was something going on here and he had a feeling it   
was something he wasn't going to like.  
  
Come to think of it, Quatre, the Winner heir, had said   
there was something he should know.  
  
Shaking off the shock, Milliard glanced at his still-grinning   
brother and asked the entire group into his house.  
  
Once installed comfortably in one of the lounges, Milliard   
turned his attention to Quatre, who looked at him uncertainly then,   
taking a deep breath, began to speak.  
  
"Ah, Milliard-san, I'd, um, like to introduce you to, um,   
Duo Maxwell."  
  
Unsure who Quatre was speaking of, though he had a sneaking   
suspicion he didn't want confirmed, Milliard looked around for   
someone unknown. There was no one there and Milliard reluctantly   
turned to look at his brother, who didn't seem to be his brother   
anymore.  
  
The scruffy young man smirked and nodded, "Yeah."  
  
The blonde blinked and shook his head before deciding he   
needed to sit down. He took a seat on the silk-covered sofa   
and, after taking a deep breath, indicated he was as ready as he   
could be.  
  
"You'd better tell me the rest of it."  
  
The group looked at Quatre, who looked at Duo, who grinned   
at them all, seeming to enjoy the disbelief and possible drama   
involved in the situation.  
  
"Right. Well, as he said, I'm Duo Maxwell, pilot of the   
Gundam Deathscythe, war-orphan of L2, partner of Heero Yuy,   
talented thief, Sweeper-extraordinaire and all-round amazing guy.   
Heh, in my world anyway."  
  
"And?" Milliard questioned, his opinion as to the truth of   
the boy's statements on hold for the moment.  
  
"And? I somehow got sucked through to this world after   
falling off a cliff in my own?"  
  
"Oh."  
  
Silence reigned as the Gundam pilots allowed Milliard the   
chance to digest what had been said.  
  
"Well, I suppose I believe you. There's no way you're   
Julian."  
  
The grin that Milliard could tell was a normal feature   
on Duo's face, grew wider, "Really? Glad you think so."  
  
"Aa. So..."  
  
==========  
  
Duo stretched his frame as much as possible, enjoying   
the feeling of being stretched. After having spent a good two   
hours sitting around the coffee table with the pilots and   
Milliard, he thought he could do with another run, whether it   
lead to him sleeping outside or not.  
  
"Mmmmmmm," standing, he stretched again before walking   
across to the window and looking out across the manicured   
lawns. Someone came up behind him.  
  
"So, Duo's a hedonist?"  
  
Looking over his shoulder, Duo smiled a tiny, satisfied   
smile, "How'd you guess?"  
  
Milliard laughed and the two stood for a few moments in   
companionable silence.  
  
"Do I..." Milliard suddenly asked, "Do I exist in your   
world?"  
  
Duo leant his forehead against the window and closed his   
eyes, the better to remember, "I don't know any Milliard   
Peacecrafts, but there's something..."  
  
"Ah, well.  
  
A pause, "You don't have any family there?"  
  
"No," Duo shook his head, "It's been just me for as long   
as I can remember, well except for the time at the Maxwell   
Church and Solo, but not family, no. Or none that I knew of."   
Duo laughed ruefully, "I have this feeling though, that I'm   
going to end up with a sister."  
  
Milliard watched Duo, puzzled, "A sister?"  
  
"Mm. Relena. She's a Peacecraft and there are rumours   
that she has, or had, a brother. And here I'm a Peacecraft.   
Maybe we kind of, I dunno, lost each other or something."  
  
Duo made a face and shoved himself back from the window,   
turning to face his gorgeous, blonde brother, "And it _would_   
have to be her." He leaned in closer to Milliard and whispered,   
"I don't like her very much, she's a pain in the ass."  
  
Milliard almost jumped back, still shocked by Duo's   
vocabulary coming from Julian's mouth.  
  
"This Relena, on the other hand. I wouldn't mind being   
related to."  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Heero watched the base and it's mobile dolls explode in a   
satisfying burst of flame and billows of black smoke. If anything   
could take his mind off Duo's not being beside him, it was this.  
  
And even this wasn't working to well.  
  
*Where are you, Duo? You can't be dead, so where are you?   
Why aren't you here, playing with your scythe and having fun taking   
out all these mobile dolls? Duo...*  
  
The mission hadn't been quite as bad as they had been   
warned and was fairly easily dealt with by the four Gundams present.   
It almost made Heero regret coming, knowing the other three pilots   
would likely have been okay without him. But it was the mission   
and therefore not to be regretted in itself.  
  
Only the fact that it took him away from his search for Duo   
was regrettable.  
  
Heero joined the other Gundams in a flight back to the   
safehouse they had been at, each of them wanting to rekindle the   
search for Duo. Even though they all knew it was too late.  
  
It had taken them a day to get to Mogadishu from Texas,   
where they had been, and another three to set up the infiltration   
and destruction that was currently so apparent.  
  
Heero had managed to pull the set of plans that was the   
primary reason for the mission from the central computers without   
hassle while Wufei and Quatre planted explosives and Trowa watched   
everyone's back as best he could.  
  
Now he could look for word of Duo again. The first thing he   
was going to do when he got back was search the net for any word   
of bodies, dead or alive, being washed up onto the beach. Then   
he'd investigate each one while the others continued coastal patrols   
and tours of towns in the path of the tides.  
  
Unwilling to give up on Duo, Heero was willing to search as   
long and as thoroughly as needed until something definite turned   
up, even if he had to dedicate the rest of his life to it. Between   
missions, in any case.  
  
A small screen popped up in the corner of his righthand   
cockpit display, a familiar blonde face filling it, "Almost there,   
Heero. I'm sure there'll be word of him."  
  
"Aa."  
  
Quatre smiled at him encouragingly, knowing it wouldn't help   
and signed off as they approached the coast.  
  
All four Gundam units were carefully hidden in various places   
throughout the dense forest a short distance from the house, where   
the pilots were to meet.  
  
Heero sat himself in front of his laptop, joined by Quatre,   
while Wufei and Trowa headed to the kitchen to prepare something   
to eat.  
  
And for the rest of the night, Heero worked his way through   
John Doe reports at hospitals across the world.   
  
It didn't occur to him to look under Duo's name.  
  
==========  
  
Relena sat beside the hospital bed, watching the pilot of   
Deathscythe sleep restlessly. She'd never had the chance to study   
him before and had to admit he was cute. He had such long lashes,   
such soft hair and smooth skin. It was a lot like watching a baby   
sleep, a grown up baby.  
  
She giggled, knowing that that was exactly what Duo was.  
  
He wasn't a bit like Heero, whose face was refined perfection,   
regardless of the fact that his hair was always a mess, just begging   
to be put straight.  
  
It had been a week since she'd last seen Heero, though she'd   
had Pargan regularly search for word of the Gundams and the Japanese   
pilot. There had been a report of an attack on a base in Africa   
two days ago, but until Relena could find where Heero was now she'd   
have to keep visiting Duo herself.  
  
The American pilot still hadn't regained consciousness,   
though he'd been pulled out of intensive care and installed in a   
private ward at Relena's insistence. She'd bought flowers to   
brighten up the room, but didn't know Duo well enough to take   
liberties with anything else.  
  
Instead she visited everyday, sometimes talking to him,   
other days sitting silently beside his bed, thinking and dreaming.  
  
She hoped he would appreciate all this once he'd woken up.  
  
And, with a sense of timing that went with his flair for   
drama, Duo chose that moment to open his eyes.  
  
Relena happened to be looking directly at his face,   
contemplating his eyelashes, when they rose, revealing pain-filled   
violet-blue eyes. He blinked as he focussed on the bare ceiling   
and frowned before exploring the room around him.  
  
His eyes came to rest on Relena and the frown deepened,   
"R-Relena?"  
  
"Hai," Relena smiled, pleased with her patient's progress.   
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Feeling? Ah..." Duo winced, obviously feeling the pain   
of his injuries. "Not so good."  
  
Relena's brow furrowed then cleared, "I'll call the nurse,   
she should be able to get you something. It's probably good if   
they know you've woken up as well."  
  
An 'Aa' of agreement followed her out the door as she headed   
for the nurses station. Fiona, the nurse currently on duty,   
agreed to bring something for Duo and Relena returned to the   
pilot's room.  
  
She found Duo looking around with interest, a small frown   
still present on his face. He turned to the door when he heard   
Relena walk in and once again the frown deepened.  
  
"H-How long have I been asleep?"  
  
Relena took the chair next to his bed once again, "About a   
week, though you'll be staying here for quite awhile yet."  
  
Shocked, Duo stared at her, "A w-week? How did you manage   
to grow your hair that long in a week?"  
  
"Eh? What do you mean? My hair's always been this length."  
  
Duo shook his head weakly, "Last time I saw you it was up   
to here," he lifted his hand and indicated the length by brushing   
his fingertips along a path level with his jaw.  
  
Relena blinked, now as confused as Duo had been.  
  
"Um, Duo, it's always..."  
  
Duo cut her off, "Duo?"  
  
Relena blinked again, unsure if this was a practical joke or   
something worse.  
  
"Yes. Duo. It's your name. Duo Maxwell."  
  
Duo shook his head emphatically, wincing and slowing down   
when it had a negative effect on the level of pain he was currently   
experiencing. "No. My name is Julian Peacecraft, not Duo Maxwell.   
_You're_ Relena Maxwell."  
  
"I-I'm what?"  
  
"Relena Maxwell. Where's Heero? He should be here if you   
are," a slight grimace crossed his face at that, "Or Milliard? Can   
you call him and let him know I'm awake?"  
  
Totally out of her depths, Relena gave a sigh of relief when   
the nurse came in with a few pills and gave them to Duo, insisting   
he take them.  
  
Reluctantly, he did so and drifted back into sleep, while   
Relena tried to figure out what was going on.  
  
She finally stood some twenty minutes later and headed for   
a com unit, hoping Pargan had found news of Heero's whereabouts.   
Maybe he could tell her why Duo was acting this way.  
  
==========  
  
Heero bolted upright when the beep of a new call echoed   
through his room. Within a split second he had taken the laptop off   
stand-by mode and was bringing up the caller, hoping it was from   
one of the hospitals he'd left messages at.  
  
When the sender was revealed as Relena Peacecraft, he rubbed   
his palm against his forehead and seriously considered shutting the   
computer down again.   
  
Then he remembered her help on the day after Duo disappeared   
and decided he could at least talk to her for a few seconds and   
acknowledged her greeting.  
  
"Heero!" came through the speakers, said in the same tone of   
voice it always was.  
  
"Relena."  
  
"I'm glad I finally found you. It's about Duo."  
  
Having switched half of his brain off at the greeting, Heero   
jumped back to full attention at this statement, "What about him?"  
  
"I found him on the beach a week ago and took him to hospital.   
He's doing okay and just woke up, but, Heero...? Do you know why   
he'd be calling himself Julian Peacecraft and insisting my name was   
Relena Maxwell?"  
  
==Owari, Chapter Three==  
  
And it's WEIRD writing 'Milliard' instead of 'Zechs', which sounds   
so much cooler.  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  
  
  



	4. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
Dedicated, as always, to Kellryn.  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Four  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Duo, once more, found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling,   
trying to sleep. And once more, he was unable to, though with more   
reason this time.  
  
He was currently lying in Julian's large, soft bed, covered in   
fine linen sheets and tracing the gilt edges of the panelling on the   
ceiling. He decided they were more interesting than the plain tiles   
on the other ceiling, but were bound to get boring as the night   
progressed.  
  
And there was less likely to be escape from this room.  
  
He'd run an eye over the mansion's security earlier and   
sneaking out would almost be more trouble than it was worth,   
requiring either jimmying open the window without setting off an   
alarm or making it outside without waking anyone else. And with   
Heero in the next room, he was unlikely to make it very far.  
  
Everyone had decided earlier, that Duo had to be Julian, no   
matter how much he objected and that would require him learning more   
of politics, diplomacy, absolute pacifism and manners than he'd ever   
wanted. Unlike Relena though, he wouldn't have to everything by   
himself as Milliard had as much to do with the peace process as he   
himself did. Which was good as far as it went, but everyone was   
going to do their best to keep him from blowing things up in the   
meantime.  
  
They probably wouldn't even let him carry his knife around...   
well a substitute for his knife anyway. The charade had to be   
perfect.  
  
Like that would be possible, given his propensity for cheerful   
violence and street-wise-ness.   
  
So, starting tomorrow he was being left in his brother's   
capable hands and the training would begin; deportment, articulation,   
society manners, hierarchies of various kinds, wine tasting, food   
recognition (which he might enjoy) and formal dancing. He had a   
feeling this was going to be worse than the time the Professor had   
made him learn each and every part that went in to making up various   
mobile suits in 48 hours.  
  
At least they didn't expect him to do anything until after a   
few days training, when he'd know the basics at the very least and   
had a chance of pulling this off. Until then, he was officially sick   
and confined to his bed.  
  
Which was going to be hell... particularly if he couldn't   
sleep.  
  
Sighing to himself at the circular path his thoughts were   
beginning to take, Duo tried to drop into a fantasy involving his   
Heero, chocolate sauce and silk scarves.  
  
It worked for quite some time.  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Heero pulled the car to a stop in front of the hospital Relena   
had given him directions to and applied the brake, pausing with his   
hand on the door handle before opening it and heading towards the   
entrance.   
  
He didn't show it, he never did, but he was worried. More so   
than if Duo had just been injured because Relena's report had   
indicated mental trauma as well as physical.   
  
For Duo to pretend to be a Peacecraft was one of those   
situations he had never been prepared for and he feared that it was   
his fault for not letting Duo know how much he cared for him. And   
how little he cared for Relena.  
  
So it was up to him to remedy that as far as he could. Maybe   
if he showed Duo that he _did_ care a _lot_ he'd snap out of it and   
they could head off on their next mission together. Because if he   
didn't, Heero didn't know what he'd do.  
  
The nurse at reception pointed him in the right direction and   
he headed off down the hallway in search of an elevator, which he   
took to the third floor.   
  
The first person he saw when the door opened was Relena,   
getting herself a drink from the vending machine a few metres away.   
He considered sneaking past the annoying female then decided he owed   
her. Unfortunately.  
  
"Relena."  
  
The blonde spun around and smiled widely, "Heero!" she breathed   
and moved closer, almost breaching the invisible barriers he always   
had set about himself.  
  
Strange, that only two people had ever been beyond them,   
ignoring the warning signs, though his reaction to them were as far   
apart as possible. Relena he barely kept from strangling most of the   
time and Duo he'd welcomed in with open arms, metaphorically   
speaking. Though he'd never let the baka know exactly how welcome   
he'd been.  
  
Heero paused. Then again maybe he would, after all, that was   
likely what the problem with his fellow pilot was.  
  
"You came to see Duo, right? I'll show you to his room,"   
Relena beckoned him along the corridor and Heero followed, watching   
the numbers on the doors they walked past.  
  
"He still thinks he's Julian Peacecraft and, well, he does seem   
different. Why do you think this happened?"  
  
Heero blinked and once more decided he had the ability to kill   
this female. Intellectually he knew Duo talked far more, but it   
always seemed as though it was Relena who couldn't shut up, and now   
she was asking questions he himself was ill equipped to deal with,   
even if he thought he knew the answers.  
  
So he shrugged, ignoring the fact that Relena couldn't see the   
action and willed her to move faster. He wanted, needed, to see Duo.  
  
  
They finally turned in at a door guarded by the man Heero   
recognised as Relena's chauffeur and he received his first glimpse of   
the boy currently calling himself Julian Peacecraft.   
  
He was lying with his eyes closed, chestnut braid draping over   
the edge of the bed and the slightest of frowns between his brows.   
He was in pain and Heero buried the urge to smooth the wrinkle from   
his brow, knowing that its disappearance didn't do anything for the   
pain itself.  
  
He walked towards the bed, his eyes trained on Duo's face to   
the exclusion of all else.  
  
Then, as he reached out to touch the other pilot, violet-blue   
eyes opened and looked at him through a vague blurring of pain. Then   
recognition dawned and a forever-sweet smile dawned on the braided   
boy's face, his eyes glowing.  
  
"Heero... you came."  
  
"Aa," Heero replied, a little breathless. He'd never seen   
_that_ smile on Duo's face before and it made him want to protect the   
other person, made him seem more vulnerable than usual, as though,   
maybe, he _needed_ Heero. So different from the normal Duo, who was   
as changeable as the wind, but self-reliant no matter who he was at   
the time.  
  
Relena took a position next to Heero, placing her hand on his   
arm and smiling reassuringly down at Duo, "I told you I'd find him."  
  
But Duo's eyes clouded and darkened, his gaze lingering on   
Relena's hand where it lay against Heero's arm. A flash of pain   
moved through the indigo orbs then his lashes were dropping once more   
and lay, a dark shadow on pale skin.  
  
"You did, I suppose, Relena. Thank you," Duo's voice had   
dropped to a whisper. "It wasn't something I expected."  
  
Relena frowned, and Heero wondered about what was going on as   
he continued to watch his bedridden lover. So far there had been no   
indication of her reports that Duo was claiming to be someone he was   
not, though there were definitely changes in the boy lying before   
him. The smile, the pain, the... Heero blinked. Duo had all of a   
sudden become articulate as well as talkative; his accent had changed   
a little and now contained something he would describe as 'breeding'.  
  
So maybe this was the evidence he was looking for.  
  
"He's your friend, Duo, why wouldn't I ask him to come?"  
  
A bitter smile touched Duo's mouth and he moved his head back   
and forth across the pillow, "Julian, remember? I don't know why you   
keep on calling me Duo, but I'm not."  
  
His eyes opened again and looked directly into Heero's eyes,   
"I'm _not_ Duo Maxwell. I don't care who you think I am, but I'm   
_not_. My name is Julian Peacecraft, my older brother is Milliard   
Peacecraft and I live in a mansion in the county of Berlin, Germany,   
next door to General Treize Khushrenada..." Duo broke off, his eyes   
fracturing. "You don't believe me." It was a statement and Duo   
sighed.  
  
"Go away. I have no idea what's going on, but I can't deal   
with this right now, so just go away."  
  
Heero reluctantly nodded his agreement, brushing his fingertips   
across Duo's knuckles before turning and walking out of the room,   
Relena close on his tail.  
  
==========  
  
Relena glanced into Duo's room later on that afternoon, noting   
the downcast expression on his rounded face. It was so strange not   
to see a smile on the face, she mused, quietly stepping through the   
door. She walked closer to the bed, smiling tentatively at the   
braided boy when he turned towards her.  
  
Instead of returning it, he turned away, staring unseeing out   
the window and Relena sighed.  
  
"Um, Duo, don't you think you're being a little unfair to   
Heero?" she asked softly, holding his gaze when he whipped his head   
around to stare at her incredulously. "He's your friend, he spent so   
much time looking for you and he's worried about you. The least you   
can do is let him see you're okay before throwing him out."  
  
Duo frowned and shook his head, "You really think he'd believe   
I'm okay when he doesn't believe I'm Julian? Not that you believe   
either, but at least I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt   
when you say you're Relena Peacecraft, not Relena Maxwell... Which,   
by the way, would make you my sister if it were the truth... You and   
Heero _could_ pretend to believe me - humour me, call me Julian -   
until I've seen a psychologist, psychiatrist or whatever."  
  
"Duo...there's no proof that you're Julian Peacecraft, but   
quite a lot that says otherwise. You were badly hurt falling down   
the cliff and it _is_ conceivable, to us, that you're projecting,"   
Relena stated sympathetically.   
  
She had considered humouring him, but until she had   
professional advice to the contrary, she was going to try to bring   
back his true memories, by talking to him as if he was Duo.  
  
Violet-blue eyes turned back to the window, "I realise that,   
but there's _nothing_ _at_ _all_ that makes me think that's all it   
is, except what you and Heero believe. And I'm sorry to say, but at   
this point in time, it's not enough, especially given that, according   
to my memories, the two of you don't even _like_ me."  
  
Relena sighed, "Okay then, if I pretend you're actually Julian,   
can you please pretend I'm Relena _Peacecraft_? You haven't exactly   
been very nice to me since you woke up and I'm not used to being   
treated like your worst enemy, because I'm _not_. If I do you the   
favour of respecting you, will you promise to do the same?"  
  
Duo looked back at her and tilted his head to one side   
considering before nodding, "Okay. You have a deal. You don't try   
to convince me I'm someone I'm not and I won't try to convince you."  
  
Relena nodded and the two looked at each other for a few   
moments until Relena smiled and held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Relena   
Peacecraft. Pleased to meet you."  
  
Julian glanced from her smiling blue eyes to her hand and   
slowly reached out to take it, "Julian Peacecraft. It's a pleasure."  
  
==========  
  
Over the next week, each of the pilots visited Julian, though   
the boy refused to speak to any of them as soon as it became apparent   
that they didn't believe him whatever he said. And they weren't   
going to follow Relena's example and pretend. Each day he became   
more withdrawn, his skin became paler and his recuperation slowed.   
  
Then came the day when Quatre visited to let him know another   
mission had come in and they were leaving. Heero would have gone,   
still wondering if guilt was the correct emotion for the situation,   
but he was needed for the last of the preparations.   
  
The blonde walked into the room, finding Duo sitting up against   
the pillows, reading. He looked up from his page and watched as   
Quatre moved to stand next to his bed, his sky-blue eyes almost   
nervous.  
  
"Duo..." he paused for a second before continuing. "We, myself   
and the others, have to go. We have a mission but we'll be back in a   
day or two."  
  
Reigning in whatever outburst was trying to make it out of his   
throat, Julian nodded graciously and immediately turned back to his   
book, ignoring the blonde's presence. He didn't want to know; it was   
hard enough that no one believed him. Of everyone Relena was being   
the nicest, which, even after their tentative understanding earlier   
in the week, made him wonder if maybe they _were_ right and he wasn't   
who he thought he was.  
  
But, if they ever _did_ make him believe that, he would be   
lost.  
  
So, whenever they visited, he would greet them politely, say   
goodbye to them and remain silent for the remainder. That way he   
couldn't get into pointless discussions with them regarding who he   
was and exactly what had happened to make him that way...  
  
"Look, Duo, you fell down a fifty foot cliff, I'm _sure_ you   
knocked your head on a rock or something. It's nothing to be ashamed   
of, you couldn't help it, but there's no need to pretend to be like   
Relena. Regardless of the way I act, I don't like her and I thought   
you knew that. To pretend to be her is stupid, _especially_ if you   
think I'll lo-like you more that way," Heero had said the first time   
he'd visited Julian alone, getting every word out as quickly as   
possible and almost falling over the words in the process. Julian   
had come close to laughing at the impassioned, though less than   
eloquent speech, until he'd remembered what the topic was.  
  
Julian _did_ allow them to talk when they came, never   
interrupting, and found what they had to say endlessly fascinating.   
The gundam pilots he knew would never have tolerated him for long   
enough to begin talking about some of the things they spoke of. Nor   
would they have trusted him enough.  
  
They'd gone over their last mission, originally hoping to help   
him remember who he really was. But they had become caught in the   
discussion, forgetting he wasn't Duo.   
  
They'd described various last minute changes to the plans and   
gone over the tactics they'd each used, throwing ideas around as to   
what would have been better. It was a debriefing, Julian noted, and   
would help with future situations should they find themselves in   
similar difficulties.  
  
Then they'd gone on to talk of the current political situation   
and the ramifications of things, both as they stood and how they   
would stand, given certain changes being made. Occasionally   
digressing, they would turn to more personal conversations, such as   
their favourite foods or certain childhood habits, for short periods   
of time.   
  
It surprised Julian to note that, once they got started, Heero   
and Trowa could talk as much as anyone. He'd never heard them string   
more than a few words together before and enjoyed listening to both   
boys' voices as he drifted. This also helped disguise the fact that   
Julian wasn't as talkative as they claimed Duo was, and had given up   
talking all together after Heero's third visit.  
  
Quatre sighed heavily when Julian didn't reply and left with a   
quiet goodbye. Julian watched him go with a shadow of sadness in his   
eyes.  
  
He turned his book face down across his knees and stared   
blindly at the wall, his hand stroking the braid that had been part   
of him since he woke up. The heavy mass, more than anything else,   
convinced him that he _was_ Julian Peacecraft, not this Duo Maxwell   
everyone wanted him to be. Why, if he had selective amnesia and had   
convinced himself that he was someone he wasn't, would he not   
remember what he _looked_ like, at the very least? He couldn't see   
why it would make a difference what he looked like and at no stage   
had he ever had hair longer than his shoulders.  
  
And then there was Wufei, the Chinese pilot. Why wouldn't he   
remember the other boy when he remembered everyone else? And why did   
he have memories of a different, _female_ Chinese pilot instead?  
  
The way things were going though, he was going to be miserable   
for however long he was with these doppelgangers of the Gundam pilots   
he knew. He blinked as it struck him that he had already allowed   
these people to change him and his eyes narrowed.  
  
Maybe that was the point of this entire exercise?   
  
Someone wanted him out of the way, so was going to convince him   
he was someone he wasn't, and if that didn't work they would likely   
kill him. Thoughts of Treize and Milliard intruded and he wondered   
where they were, if they were worrying about him or if they were in   
the same position.  
  
A determined gleam entered Julian's eye and a grin teased at   
his lips, baring white teeth as he tossed the braid over his shoulder   
and sat up straighter.  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
"No!" Duo yelled, slamming the door in Milliard's face and   
wedging his foot against it to prevent it being opened. He looked   
around for something else to bar entry and made a quick rush for the   
desk chair, tucking it firmly under the door handle.   
  
"Duo..." the blonde spoke from beyond the door, menace and   
understanding mixed equally in his smooth voice.  
  
"No! I'm sick of this and I refuse to do anything else for the   
rest of the day. Go bug someone else."  
  
Silence from behind the door, then: "Duo, I understand that   
this is hard, but you need to know this or no one's going to believe   
you're Julian. We need you to be there for the talks next week."  
  
  
Duo refused to answer, glaring at the painted white door,   
wishing he could blast it to smithereens with his stare alone. But   
he had a way to go to equal Heero's glares yet, let alone develop one   
powerful enough to warp wood.  
  
If things carried on as they were, he wasn't going to make it   
home, which would be absolutely the worst thing that could happen to   
him. Yeah, the pilots were nice and it was great having a brother,   
but everyone still had a habit of treating him like Julian when they   
weren't thinking, which drove him nuts.  
  
And all he wanted to do just now was to get right away from the   
politics and manners he'd been drilled with over the past few days   
and cut loose. Steal a mobile suit for a joyride or find himself a   
gun and target range, anything that was noisy and _normal_. He'd   
even kill for a decent piece of music, something that didn't include   
violins and a full orchestra.  
  
"Duo!"  
  
Realising his teeth were tightly clenched and his hands had   
formed into something halfway between a fist and a claw, Duo stared   
at the door some more, trying to get a hold of his frustration   
without success.  
  
"AAAaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh!" he tipped his head back a screamed   
then stopped, breathing heavily, hands flexing. "I swear..." he   
spoke loudly enough to be heard on the other side of the door, "I   
swear, if I don't get out of here for a while, I'm going to explode."  
  
He removed the chair from underneath the doorhandle and flung   
it open, staring into Milliard's startled blue eyes, "And you _don't_   
want to be around if that happens."   
  
From various directions, the five gundam pilots converged,   
tense in anticipation of a threat.   
  
"What's going on?" Meiran asked quietly, eyes fully alert.   
"Who screamed?"  
  
Everyone looked at Duo who glared at all of them, "You guys got   
back from that mission?"  
  
"Well, obviously," Relena stated, not unkindly.  
  
Duo continued glaring, "You get to have fun, while I'm stuck   
here learning stuff I _don't_ want to know. Life is _not_ fair."   
Then his eyes lit up, glowing with an unholy light. He fixed them on   
Relena who shifted uncomfortably, fully aware that something was   
going to happen and she wasn't going to like it.  
  
"Relena, _please_ can I borrow Deathscythe for an hour or two?   
_Please_."  
  
"Don't be stupid, baka," Heero snorted, "You can't drive a car,   
let alone pilot a gundam."  
  
Duo ignored him, as he had in general since he'd arrived,   
finding it too painful to see the loathing in the Prussian eyes,   
"Relena..."  
  
The blonde stared back at him, noting the manic gleam in blue-  
violet eyes and the shadows that belonged only to Duo and, knowing   
she would regret it, nodded slowly.  
  
Everyone looked at her as though she was crazy.  
  
"What!? If you do that you'll never see Deathscythe again,"   
Meiran said, conveying everyone's thoughts in a somewhat more   
coherent manner than Heero and Milliard who were both in the process   
of vehemently objecting.  
  
Duo was too busy throwing his arms around Relena to notice, and   
she was trying to breathe. Then Duo stepped back, grinning widely.  
  
"Whooohoooo!" he exclaimed, the bounce Milliard had been   
training him out of back in his step as he entered his room like a   
whirlwind. He returned a minute later wearing the only black clothes   
Julian owned and grabbed Relena's wrist, pulling her in the direction   
of the forest where the gundam's were hidden. "Let's go!"  
  
Everyone followed at a run, trying to keep up with the ecstatic   
boy as he dragged Relena past the guards with a flash of a smile,   
waving brightly at the limousine that was turning in through the   
gates. He arrived shortly afterwards at the resting place of   
Deathscythe, having been directed by Relena and let go of her to go   
hug this version of his gundam.  
  
"Hey, baby," he whispered lovingly, rubbing his cheek along the   
cold metal of the Gundam's hand where it lay beside the body. "You   
mind flying with me a bit? Just until I find Shinigami again?"  
  
Relena, a little startled at Duo's actions moved closer and   
caught some of his whispers and smiled. She clambered up the body of   
the Gundam unit until she reached the chest and keyed the cockpit   
open, swinging into the pilot's seat to reconfigure it for a second   
pilot.  
  
The other pilots, Milliard and Treize, who had seen everyone   
leaving as he arrived and followed, remained on the ground, watching   
Duo run a check of the Gundam, searching for similarities and   
differences. Once satisfied, he went grinning on his way towards the   
cockpit and watched Relena as she finished up and emerged.  
  
"Okay, she'd all your's for an hour. Make sure she's back, in   
one piece, or I will come after you and I will kill you."  
  
Duo nodded happily, "Sure thing, Relena. No problem, see ya   
later!" And he jumped in, closing the cockpit with a casual flick of   
the wrist against the release and settled back until he was sure   
Relena would be clear before running through a pre-flight check and   
starting her up.  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Relena smiled widely when Heero walked down the hallway towards   
her with the other pilots, relieved they were back from their   
mission. Regardless of how strange things had been with Duo when   
he'd first woken up, things had managed to get much worse while   
they'd been gone. Apart from being able to walk around, Duo had also   
started to talk to people.  
  
She'd known he had the ability to talk a lot, but she'd never   
heard him speak on the subjects he'd been focusing on. She was   
actually a little put out by his eloquence and charisma, especially   
when he began speaking about Absolute Pacifism, the way he had been   
doing.  
  
That was _her_ job and to have Duo Maxwell stand up and start   
doing it, at least as well as her. And when he broke in on her   
conversations to do it... Relena was beginning to feel rather   
redundant.  
  
Yes, she was very glad that Heero and the others were back;   
maybe they'd be able to figure out what was wrong and make him go   
back to being what he was. It was harder than she'd thought, to   
pretend he was Julian and she realised she wanted Duo back.  
  
Then she reconsidered. It wasn't that it was hard to believe   
he was actually Julian, it was that it was too _easy_. This boy,   
with his more refined movements and completely different way of   
speaking, _couldn't_ be Duo. Now she was in danger of forgetting   
that he was more likely to be Duo than Julian.   
  
"Heero!" she called, standing and walking across to him,   
smiling up at him. "You're back."  
  
"A statement of the obvious, Relena," Wufei said, eyeing her   
with misgiving. "Why do you sound so relieved?"  
  
Relena sent a look Wufei's way and shrugged, "It's Duo, he's,   
well, acting strange."  
  
The pilots all looked at each other.  
  
Wufei spoke again, "Since when has he ever acted differently?"  
  
"More strange! He's being me."  
  
Quatre frowned and absently commented, "He thinks he's female   
now, too? That's not good."  
  
Relena glared at the blonde, "No! He's taking over my job."   
She waved a hand vaguely in the air; "He's talking to everyone about   
Absolute Pacifism."  
  
A brief moment of silence was followed by a stampede into the   
braided boy's room where they drew to an abrupt halt. The boy was   
sitting up in bed, gesturing gracefully with his hands as he talked   
to the doctor by his bedside.  
  
"So, you see Dr. Rossini, even though it may seem like a   
ridiculous dream, Absolute Pacifism is important as an example of   
what people can strive for. The more people who practise it, the   
greater the impact of the example and the more people will follow the   
ideal. And, yes, it is an ideal, but many things are and still   
people work towards them. Why not in this too?" He smiled   
brilliantly at the doctor as the dark haired man nodded in agreement.  
  
"I see what you mean, Julian. It's like the legends of King   
Arthur and Camelot where he lived a life based on an ideal, though in   
the end things went wrong."  
  
"Exactly. Just like that. You understand, don't you?"  
  
Rossini smiled down at the boy, "I believe I do and I must say,   
I'd never thought of it like that before. To tell you the truth, I   
thought it was a little stupid when Miss Peacecraft first started   
speaking of it, but the way you explain it, it makes me think that   
she may be the bravest person on the planet."  
  
Relena felt like crying. Now it seemed like Duo was doing a   
better job than she had, convincing those who didn't see the   
possibility of her philosophy that it was something brilliant.  
  
Duo chose that moment to turn his head towards the door. Then   
something strange happened; he flung the covers back and jumped out   
of bed, almost skipping across the room where he glomped Heero.  
  
"Heero!" he said in a strangely familiar tone of voice, though   
Relena couldn't quite place where she'd heard it before, being in   
shock the way she was.  
  
Not that she was the only one. Heero was staring down at the   
top of the braided boy's head and everyone watched incredulously as   
he nuzzled Heero's chest and curled his arms around the pilot's neck.  
  
There was something not quite right going on here, Relena   
thought to herself, staring at the entwined pilots. Maybe this   
wasn't Duo after all; maybe he was Julian, the way he claimed. She   
sure hoped so anyway.  
  
Dr. Rossini gave an indulgent smile and decided to leave the   
kids alone to play.  
  
==Owari, Chapter Four==  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  



	5. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
Dedicated, as always, to Kellryn.  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Five  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Accelerating through take-off as fast as he could, Duo blinked   
back pressure-tears as he was pressed back into the seat of   
Deathscythe, swerving away from the small group still gathered in the   
forest. Within seconds, he was out of sight, flying wildly through the   
clear blue skies, laughing madly with delight. Damn but he'd missed   
this.  
  
Relena's Deathscythe was almost _exactly_ like his Shinigami   
apart from a very slight increase in reaction time and a little less   
manoeuvrability. It was nothing that any but the best of pilots would   
recognise and was hardly enough to make a difference in any given   
fight. So Duo took the chance to pretend he was home, flashing between   
trees and twirling the thermal scythe in intricate circles about the   
body of the Gundam.   
  
He avoided anything that looked like it contained humanity as he   
steered directly for the sea, wanting to make as much of the next hour   
as possible.   
  
He dived directly off the headland overlooking the sea near   
Szcecin, the closest large body of water to the Berlin area where he   
was. Bubbles surrounded him as he cut the Gundam's thrusters and   
Deathscythe dropped to the bottom of the sea.  
  
And just in time, he murmured to himself as he watched the blip   
that was Wing go flying off down the coast a way.  
  
He hadn't really expected the pilots to leave him unescorted, but   
if it came to a choice between frolicking amongst the waves by himself   
or being babysitting, this won hands down. It wouldn't be long till   
Heero glanced at his tactical display and saw that Duo was here so he   
was going to going to make the most of it.  
  
Winding his way through the crevices that lined the sea floor, he   
went about carving large smiley faces in the walls with the scythe.   
This also had a secondary benefit - apart from the amateur artwork that   
embodied his mood - and that was illumination of the area he was   
passing through. A few startled sharks swam rapidly away from the   
metal monster that had intruded upon their afternoon hunting and Duo   
grinned again.   
  
He flicked a couple of switches and Deathscythe cut rapidly   
through the water, thrusters on full as it sped for the cliff he'd   
fallen off. With a casual twist of his wrist, the Gundam burst   
upwards, exploding from the water, until it was high above the cliff.   
Then he flipped forwards and dropped into a soft landing on the grass   
that iced the headland.  
  
\\Duo?\\ came through the internal speakers.  
  
"Heya, Heero! Damn, but I missed this," he smiled at the other   
pilot, ignoring the almost disconcerted look on his face as he swung   
Wing around. He hadn't noticed Deathscythe sneaking up on him, even   
though he must've been showing on the tactical display.  
  
Then Heero scowled, \\There are fifteen mobile suits heading this   
way. Get back to the others while I take care of them.\\  
  
"Mobile suits? And you expect me to go back? No way, man, I'm   
not going to pass up the chance to introduce anyone to Shinigami," Duo   
glanced at the mobile suits in relation to where he was and descended,   
mentally, into stealth-combat mode, mumbling about it being a good   
thing they weren't mobile dolls, though of course they'd have no   
problems with them either.  
  
He crept up on the MS's from behind, using their absorption while   
taking on Wing as a distraction to position himself. He'd been   
listening to Heero's sharp complaints and anger at endangering his   
girlfriend's Gundam but was determined to continue his course of   
action. He was as much a Gundam pilot as any of the others, even   
though none of them knew for sure.  
  
A quick sweep of the thermal scythe cut through two suits,   
standing stupidly close to each other and they exploded in a burst of   
flame and smoke. Adrenaline pumped wildly through his veins, pulling   
his lips into their usual psychotic grin as he slid to the side and   
swung again.   
  
An arm fell of the MS and the joint sparked and fizzed where it   
had been severed, the light show giving Duo the time to wade through   
three more suits before slicing the armless Leo in half.  
  
Two sweeps and a burst of Wing's beam cannon later, the Gundam's   
stood amidst a small circle of smoking carnage, facing one another.  
  
Heero's face flickered on Deathscythe's cockpit monitors and   
opened his mouth to speak, eyes still burning with an intense anger.   
Duo, however, began speaking before he had the chance, more used to   
finding and taking advantage of openings.  
  
"Whoohoo! Two weeks without fighting _or_ working on Shinigami   
is too long, man. Damn, I can't wait to get back, gotta let Relena   
know she's got a great machine... not as good as Shinigami, of course,   
but it's still great. Let's go, ne, Heero?"  
  
And, without waiting for a reply, he keyed his thrusters and sped   
off in the direction of Milliard's mansion.  
  
==========  
  
Heero quietly watched him fly off, still trying to get his brain   
around what he'd just seen. _Julian_ flying Relena's Gundam as well   
as, if not better than, Relena herself.   
  
He shook his head; when he hadn't been able to find the other boy   
after following him, he'd started to wonder whether he hadn't already   
managed to crash the Gundam. Then he'd jumped out of the ocean and   
proceeded to dance through the mobile suits he'd come up against, and   
Heero had been hard pressed to remember to do his part.   
  
If it hadn't been for Dr. J's insistance on the importance of   
focus and concentration, it was quite likely that he would have   
required saving by the boy piloting Deathscythe. And much as he hated   
to admit it, he was starting to think of him as Duo.  
  
He'd been much more sceptical than the other pilots from the   
first, never having been trusting, and having the worst experiences of   
the Peacecraft. That had been why he'd insisted on following Duo in   
the Gundam when Relena had let him pilot Deathscythe. She hadn't   
objected, fortunately, but somehow, she'd known he was actually a   
capable pilot.   
  
A dark frown dropped across his brow as he transformed Wing into   
bird form and took off after the other boy, still going over what he'd   
seen.  
  
Grudgingly, he allowed himself to believe in Duo's story. The   
quite amazing differences between Julian and Duo were becoming more and   
more apparent, and there was no way he could hold on to his doubt   
anymore.   
  
The boy was Duo.  
  
And, his curiousity rose and began feeding him questions he   
wanted answers to. Questions about the other boy, his world and - he   
winced - _his_ Heero.  
  
==========  
  
Relena and the other's stayed in the forest, waiting for the   
return of Duo and Heero, who had insisted on keeping an eye on the   
other boy, just in case.   
  
Trowa had wandered off into the forest, followed shortly   
afterwards by Meiran after a small smile passed between her and Relena.   
She fully approved of a relationship between the tiny Chinese girl,   
with her furious temper and motherly nature and the silent pilot of   
Heavyarms. They had the necessary qualities to heal each other of the   
wounds they had received over the years.  
  
Meiran had never forgiven herself for the death of her husband   
Wufei, something she had confided to Relena after Duo's shock statement   
on the day he arrived. They had had a long talk that evening as they   
walked outside before heading for bed. Meiran had also admitted her   
interest in Trowa and Relena had given her full support.   
  
Trowa's past was still a mystery, something he never talked about   
to them, but he was opening up to the warmth and gentleness of Meiran;   
shocked though he was, by her occasional burst of temper. The emerald   
eyes of the pilot gained life each time he looked at the small girl and   
seemed to follow he unconsciously whenever she was in sight.  
  
Relena grinned as she shifted under the tree she was sitting   
under. They were so cute together.   
  
She only hoped Quatre could find someone to help him move beyond   
his interest in the quiet pilot. He was cute and nice enough for her   
to want him to be happy, but not at the expense of Meiran. Not that he   
would interfere in something that was becoming so obvious.  
  
Glancing across at the blonde boy, she smiled when she found him   
talking animatedly to Treize and Milliard, seeming to be explaining the   
situation to the older man. She had to admit, he would make a   
wonderful diplomat or politician if he ever moved beyond the family   
company he would inherit one day. He was a born leader and held them   
together as much as mother-Meiran did.   
  
But the longing in his sky-blue eyes when he looked at Trowa was   
painful to watch.  
  
Then she moved her gaze on to Quatre's two companions.  
  
Milliard was looking as beautiful as ever, regardless of the   
slightly harried expression on his face as he waved his hands to   
emphasise one of Quatre's points. She let herself go, admiring his   
long blonde hair, refined features and proud carriage. He was a man   
who knew exactly who he was.  
  
Which is what made him so effective as a representative for the   
Sank Kingdom principle's of Absolute Pacifism, along with his eloquence   
in public speaking and, of course, the fact that he was drop-dead   
gorgeous. The women of the world loved that.  
  
Treize, Milliard's business and political partner - possibly more   
- couldn't help but look aristocratic. He had an arrogance and   
certainty about him that was even more apparent than his partner's and   
a charisma that influenced as many men as Milliard's beauty did women.   
Not that Treize couldn't influence women, because he was handsome   
enough to turn heads and his obvious intelligence attracted those who   
put no store in appearance.  
  
Altogether, the two of them, with Julian's youth, cuteness and   
ability to talk the head off _anyone_ when he was on a roll, made an   
excellent trio of pacifism advocates.   
  
She still didn't understand it herself, and had no concept of how   
they thought Absolute Pacifism was a possibility at all. Yet, they   
were having a large influence on the world, which had in turn   
influenced the Gundam pilots to appoint themselves protectors of the   
trio. Though they, at times, regretted it because of Julian's   
infatuation with Heero and his brother's inability to keep him away   
from them.  
  
A low vibration cut through her thoughts and she turned her head   
to watch Deathscythe touch down lightly, making almost no noise. She   
found herself impressed by Duo's piloting skills and justified at   
letting Duo take the Gundam out. She been yelled at by Milliard, Heero   
and Meiran as soon as the other boy had left, but had ignored it, but   
she'd known he'd be good since he loved Deathscythe as much as she did.  
  
Wing cut through the air shortly afterwards, touching down a   
little further away. Heero had insisted on going after Duo and keeping   
him from damaging her Gundam, and Relena had agreed, both for his sake   
and her own. Because, no matter how certain she was that this was Duo   
and not Julian, and that he spoke the truth about being a Gundam pilot   
in his own world, there were still doubts.  
  
Duo appeared in the open hatch on Deathscythe's torso and grinned   
down at her, swinging down to land at the Gundam's foot before bouncing   
over and throwing his arms around her.  
  
A soft laugh sounded in her ear as Duo spoke, "Thanks, Relena, I   
needed that."  
  
She nodded, smiling as he stepped back and whirled around, arms   
outflung, "I'm psyched! Damn, it was good to finally blow some stuff   
up again. Your Deathscythe's almost as good as my Shinigami."  
  
Then Duo stopped abruptly, his mouth falling open as he gazed in   
the general direction of Milliard and his companions, she followed his   
gaze trying to figure out what was wrong, but found nothing out of the   
ordinary, though the trio was moving closer.  
  
"Gah!" he yelled, waving an accusing finger in their direction,   
"What's _he_ doing here?"  
  
_He_ blinked, raising an aristocratic eyebrow in enquiry while   
staring at the finger levelled at him. The enquiry became general as   
everyone else gathered about, wondering what was wrong.  
  
"Duo? It's Trieze, don't you know him?" Meiran asked quietly.  
  
Looking at her as though she was crazy Duo snorted, "Of _course_   
I know him, he's the leader of OZ!"  
  
Silence reigned throughout the clearing while his statement sank   
in, and it was Trieze himself who replied first, "Pardon? I'm what?"  
  
Milliard was close behind, embarrassed by his brother's   
accusation, "What do you mean, the leader of OZ? Trieze has been   
working with us for the past number of years towards peace."  
  
Duo took a step back under the disapproval and sighed, running a   
hand through his bangs, "Sorry. It's just, he _is_ the leader of OZ in   
my world."  
  
==========  
  
A slight frown appeared between Trieze's brows, his blue eyes   
stern and doubtful of the truth in that. He couldn't imagine himself   
as the head of a military organisation of any sort, but if Julian's   
other self was a Gundam pilot, as had been explained to him, then he   
supposed it was _possible_.  
  
He found the idea of another world, so similar and so different   
to their own, fascinating, though ultimately improbable. Of course,   
the arrival of this Duo, did seem to suggest that such a thing was not   
only possible, but was true.   
  
He trusted his partner's judgement, especially when it came to   
his brother, whom he'd avoided outside of what was necessary, both   
socially and professionally. He found the younger Peacecraft a little,   
well, annoying except when he was _being_ a Peacecraft, which was not   
often enough to suit him.  
  
Therefore the scene he'd arrived to at Milliard's mansion -   
Julian rushing past, grinning and dragging Relena Maxwell, Gundam   
pilot, behind him, was somewhat unusual. He knew those pilots had as   
many problems coping with Julian as he did, especially given his   
infatuation with Heero. So he'd spent the last hour listening to   
Quatre and Milliard explain what was happening. And though he still   
wasn't entirely convinced, he had suspended his belief until he had   
decided one way or another what was going on.  
  
He found himself watching the young man more closely than he ever   
had, trying to find something that would mark him different from Julian   
- apart from the dragging of Ms. Maxwell, the piloting of a Gundam, the   
claims that _he_ was the leader of OZ and the genuine surprise the boy   
had exhibited upon seeing him.   
  
Duo shrugged apologetically at him, throwing off what had to be a   
disconcerting event - coming face to face with his enemy - and grinned   
with a charm that Trieze found irresistible. It reminded him a little   
of Julian's 'Mischievous Peacecraft' smile, used when he wanted to draw   
a particular emotion from a particular crowd, though much brighter and   
far more carefree.  
  
Then the boy from another world bounced forwards a little and   
swept him a flowery bow, finishing up with a flick of his wrist and a   
glance from bright violet-blue eyes, "Sorry, man, it's hard to   
remember, at times, that things are different here. No offence meant."  
  
His eyes moved beyond Trieze to rest on Milliard, his eyebrows   
comically raised, "So, how was that?"  
  
Milliard complimented Duo's bow, though added a 'tone it down' on   
the end, which made Duo laugh again, something Trieze gathered was   
habitual.  
  
Everyone headed back to Milliard's mansion, in a good mood,   
though there was a brief moment of tension when the pilots found out   
that Heero and Duo had found themselves in a skirmish. It was   
dismissed casually by Duo as nothing out of the ordinary and backed up   
by Heero's reluctant statement on Duo's apparent skill.  
  
The boy's eyes had lit up at the almost-compliment, a smile, on   
the edge of shy, lingering on his lips for a long while afterwards and   
he mused to himself about some things never changing, regardless of   
which world one was in.  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
"Damn it! Get off me, Julian, I'm trying to work," Heero yelled   
at the boy that had squirmed his way into his lap and was now nuzzling   
his neck.  
  
"But, Heero, you've been on that thing for an hour now. Don't   
you want to do something else?" the last was whispered breathlessly   
into his ear, Julian's voice having dropped into a husky whisper that   
was far too familiar for Heero's peace of mind.  
  
He stood abruptly, tumbling the braided boy onto the floor and   
stalking towards Wufei's room, hoping he had discovered something they   
could do to get Duo back.  
  
It hadn't taken him, or the others, to decide, soon after Julian   
had joined them at the safe house, that there was no way he could be   
Duo. He had not the least idea how to drive, let alone pilot a Gundam   
or hack into a system. He was a worse cook than Duo had ever been and   
complained constantly about the messy state of the house, ignoring that   
it was him who had created it in the first place. The rest of the time   
he was either harassing Heero or staring unseeing out to sea, a look of   
melancholy on his face.  
  
It was almost as if he was trying his hardest to convince them he   
wasn't Duo... and doing a _very_ good job of it.   
  
Heero now found it easy to believe Duo was now Julian, but found   
it hard to believe that he now looked forward to Relena's arrival so   
she could take him off their hands for a few short hours.   
  
The two of them seemed to have bonded; Relena was long over her   
annoyance with Julian having become an advocate for Absolute Pacifism.   
The two of them had started swapping notes on the subject and had even   
arrived back from one of their long walks along the beach calling each   
other Oniisan and Oneesan, nauseating as that was.  
  
Then there was the evening when Relena had stayed for dinner and   
she and Julian had alternately talked about their ideals, trying to   
convince the pilots, glomping Heero and arguing about it. He'd retired   
to his room early, closing the door firmly and locking it behind him   
before falling back onto his bed. He'd come pretty close to crying   
that night.  
  
He wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted his Duo back.  
  
He knocked once on Wufei's door before slipping in and sinking   
onto the edge of the Chinese boy's bed, running a hand through his   
hair, "Anything?"  
  
Wufei sent him a sympathetic glance and shrugged, "I think I may   
have something, but it'll take a little while to confirm. There was a   
research base of some kind around here and one of the scientists was   
apparently trying to harness dimensional energies, or something. There   
are rumours of a break in a fortnight ago and the scientist apparently   
reported something was missing. I'm about to try contacting him."  
  
Heero looked up in hope, "That sounds promising."  
  
Wufei nodded, typing something into his keyboard, "Yes. We just   
have to hope, if this does have something to do with Duo and Julian's,   
um, swap, that the scientist can do something about it."  
  
Heero's eyes widened. He hadn't even considered the possibility   
of not being able to get Duo back.  
  
But now that he thought about it... a little of the colour in his   
face drained out and he left the room, thanking Wufei briefly.  
  
It wasn't long before he was in his room again, the one he'd   
shared with Duo before he'd fallen off the cliff, and lying on his   
back, facing the ceiling. He pillowed his head on the arms folded   
above his head and closed his eyes, shutting out everything but his   
thoughts.  
  
He hadn't known, he mused, he hadn't realised how much he'd come   
to rely on the American pilot's presence in his life to balance him.   
The laughter and, yes, the love had kept him from the abyss of self-  
hate that had almost swallowed him at times. Duo was his equal in   
every way that counted, physically, emotionally and spiritually, and   
Heero missed him more than he could say.  
  
This substitute, this Julian, made the loss even more apparent;   
the body a clone, but the mind and spirit so incredibly different.   
Though there was one thing to say of him, though that did not have much   
to do _with_ him.  
  
Ever since Julian had woken, saved by Relena, he had gradually   
been gaining respect for the girl. Seeing her in a greater variety of   
situations than ever before, he also saw that she was quite intelligent   
and far more sane, at times, than he had thought possible. She could   
converse sensibly on a variety of topics, including weaponry, much to   
his surprise.  
  
Apparently, she had grown up with a servant who had an obsession   
with guns and swords, passing an appreciation and respect of them to   
his young mistress.   
  
This revelation had eventually led to a round of target practice   
out in the forest, where Relena had matched them all shot for shot, and   
then gone one better. Then she'd placed the gun back in Heero's hand   
and walked away, saying that it was not a skill she would ever use to   
harm someone; life was far too precious.  
  
That day had opened his eyes to the various other strengths in   
the girl and he was finding himself liking her against his will,   
because he could respect hers.  
  
But, none of that mattered when compared to Duo.  
  
It was Duo that was important and Duo that he had to get back.   
So, he would wait for Wufei to confirm the rumours and then he would   
find out what to do to bring Duo back...  
  
Because he couldn't bear to think of a life lived without the   
braided baka at his side.  
  
==Owari, Chapter Five==  
  
I have no idea what the sea around Szcecin is really like, and no real   
idea whether Deathscythe could manage to get from the Berlin area to   
Szcecin in such a short time, but, well, :P  
  
It's haa~rd to write combat scenes  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  



	6. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
Dedicated, as always, to Kellryn.  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Six  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
"Julian-sama!" a voice yelled from behind Duo who dropped his   
head briefly to keep from yelling aloud, or worse yet, swearing   
where one of the throngs belonging to the media could hear. He'd   
been hearing his doppelganger's name, with the honorific tagged on   
the end, almost constantly since arriving at the peace talks that   
morning, and it was driving him nuts. It was bad enough that they   
weren't calling him Duo, but for the 'sama' to be added on the   
end...  
  
He had cultivated a habit of casualness and informality over   
the years and this was absolutely _destroying_ it. All his ideas   
about the essential equality of all people and the way such   
honorifics were being thrown around without being earnt was a   
travesty. Though, to give Julian his due, he did seem to have a   
rather large amount of influence over large numbers of people, so   
maybe it wasn't without justification.   
  
Still, having to respond to a name of five, instead of two,   
syllables was rather disconcerting, especially when spoken in an   
unfamiliar, strangely dangerous and _very_ feminine voice.  
  
He turned away from the door he had been heading for and   
glanced around for the owner of the husky, breathless voice. His   
eyes dropped on a gorgeous blonde, whose blue eyes were burning   
almost fanatically as she drew closer.   
  
Internally he grinned to himself, admiring the well-dressed   
form of the girl and the fall of hair that almost equalled the   
length of his in his original body. His hand reached automatically   
for his braid at the thought of it. He rubbed the back of his neck   
instead of wrapping a hand around the thick rope of hair and smiled   
Julian Peacecraft's polite smile, before lowering his hand to his   
side.  
  
"Hello," he murmured as the girl grasped his hand and held   
onto it as she gazed raptly at his face.  
  
"Julian-sama, you were wonderful, as usual. Such conviction,   
such strength, such passion! It's no wonder you're my idol!"  
  
Duo tried to smother the urge to laugh, sure he would either   
offend her or give his secret away. But the combination of hero-  
worship, sincere admiration and mockery was one of the most amusing   
things he'd seen in ages, especially considering it was directed at   
him.  
  
"Um, Thank you," he said instead, trying to remove his hand   
from her death-grasp. The expression in her intense blue eyes   
became muted as she loosened her hands from around his, though she   
didn't let his hand go.  
  
"I was worried when I heard you were sick. If anything had   
happened to you, I don't know what I would have done, such a   
tragedy would have been terrible."  
  
"I'm rather glad myself, that it doesn't seem to be anything   
serious," Duo smiled reassuringly at the blonde, remembering to   
give himself an out, were he to disappear for another week.  
  
"Ah? You are not fully recovered yet?"  
  
"I'm afraid not."  
  
The blue eyes began to sparkle with the same fervour as   
previously, "Yet you still came to the peace talks today. How   
brave, Julian-sama, I have another reason to admire you!"  
  
Duo sighed inwardly, wondering what the heck was with the   
girl's gushing that seemed so at odds with the intelligence that   
lurked behind the fanaticism. There was also the fact that she   
obviously knew him, had met him before. And no matter how   
gratifying - and frightening - it was to know he was doing a   
reasonable job of impersonating the Peacecraft, there was still the   
danger that he would slip and she would become suspicious.  
  
Fortunately, Heero chose that moment to arrive at his side.   
He was looking particularly uncomfortable in the suit of clothes   
Relena had forced him to wear, though really, the pristine white   
with accents of orchid suited him surprisingly well. It served him   
right for deciding Duo needed someone to keep an eye on him; he   
smirked, watching the irritated swipe of the Japanese boy's hand   
through his bangs. He, at least, had managed to sneak by in a red   
jacket, with gold embroidered black lapels; a much more comfortable   
combination of colours.  
  
"Julian-sama, your brother is asking for you," Heero's voice   
was absolutely flat when he spoke and Duo couldn't help but grin   
faintly at the further indication of reluctance.   
  
Relena had outdone herself, suggesting he serve as the   
Peacecraft's secretary and gofer for the duration of the talks. So   
far neither OZ nor Romefeller had identified him as a Gundam pilot,   
so he was safe in one way, although his youth had been commented on   
by many a diplomat here for the talks.   
  
"Thank you, Heero," he nodded then turned back to the blonde,   
bowing over her hand and touching it with his lips. "If you'll   
excuse me?"  
  
The blonde inclined her head gracefully, a strange look in   
her eyes, and stood aside as Duo walked away at Heero's side.  
  
==========  
  
Duo turned to him with a grateful grin as soon as they were a   
reasonable distance away from the blonde.  
  
"Thanks, man. Any idea who that was?"  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "Dorothy Catalonia,   
grand daughter of the current head of Romefeller."  
  
"Strange girl..." Duo murmured.  
  
"Aa."  
  
Heero dropped back into silence as they continued on towards   
the front doors of the Romefeller Foundation building where the   
talks were being held. His fingers twitched as he considered the   
unique chance he had, being here, to destroy a large number of the   
people responsible for the war and his presence on Earth as a   
Gundam pilot.  
  
But his explosives were quite a distance away, and even his   
trusty revolver had been removed from his person as he had walked   
into the building, security being understandably tight. Then there   
was the presence of Julian, Milliard and Treize to worry about;   
regardless of his own opinions on the matter, he had been ordered   
to make sure they survived.  
  
"Heero?"  
  
He turned his head towards Duo to let him know he was   
listening, but continued to catalogue all the people he had the   
opportunity of disabling, if not killing, but was not allowed to.   
He sighed, there were times he wished he hadn't met Relena. It   
would have made things a lot simpler not to have so loud a   
conscience.  
  
"I'd just like to say, that you look really good in that   
suit, it really brings out the colour of your eyes."  
  
It took a moment for the comment to register on Heero, but   
when it did he gave the other boy his best death glare, which   
phased him as little as it did the real Julian.   
  
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was really no   
wonder it was always a mess, what with Julian, Relena and, now,   
Duo.  
  
Then a hand was placed on his shoulder, swinging him around   
to face the indigo-eyed boy, and he was startled by the serious   
determination in them, "Heero, as soon as this thing's over, I'm   
out of here. I need to get back home, as soon as possible, and I   
can't if I'm sitting around talking to people like this."  
  
Heero just looked at him, wondering where he was going, since   
he seemed to be leading somewhere.  
  
"I don't know if I can do this on my own though. I think   
I've found a lead, but I haven't been able to hack all the way into   
the system from the computers at the mansion and was hoping you   
could."  
  
Heero found himself caught by the sincere request and it's   
nature, which reinforced, again, that this was Duo, not Julian. So   
many of the little differences had been appearing since he'd   
finally let go of the worst of his disbelief. He now found it hard   
to believe he ever thought this person _was_ Julian.  
  
"Look, man, I need to get back. The other guys, there's only   
four of them, what with Julian useless, if he's there, and me gone.   
Relena can't pilot Gundams either, so she's no good, not to mention   
the fact that she's got the whole Absolute Pacifism thing going, so   
wouldn't anyway. Heero, I _need_ to get back."  
  
Heero nodded, knowing that they did need to get Julian back,   
even if he didn't really want to. He was liking the fact that he   
didn't have to worry about the crazy guy jumping him and glomping   
him and generally being a nuisance. And he actually _enjoyed_   
Duo's company, sort of. At least he exhibited common sense at   
times.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Really? Thanks, man!" he exclaimed enthusiastically,   
drawing curious looks from around the room. He grinned at them all   
apologetically, shrugging, and headed off towards Milliard again.  
  
Heero followed slowly, watching the other boy manage to curb   
the bounce in his step, though the happy grin remained, at a lesser   
voltage than usual, but it was still there.   
  
He didn't notice the blonde who was leaning casually back   
against one of the columns at the side of the room where he and Duo   
had been talking, half-obscured by heavy velvet curtains. A frown   
sat on her face as she stepped out from behind the drapes and   
followed the two of them with her eyes.  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Julian sat in the window seat of the house where he and the   
Gundam pilots were staying, gazing out to where the sun was   
falling, in a blaze of orange and red, into the sea. Above the   
flames of sunset, the sky had turned a violet to match his eyes and   
stars were appearing one by one, twinkling happily down at him.   
  
But he wasn't in the mood for their cheer, and his eyes   
returned to the golden sparkles jumping in a path across the sea,   
from the sun towards his position. They burned into his eyes,   
tears of strain forming as his eyes unfocused, looking through the   
path, as though it would show him the way home.  
  
He hated almost everything in this world he was stuck in. He   
hated the fact that he couldn't _do_ anything; that the Gundam   
pilots had begun to ignore him once they were convinced he was   
Julian. He hated that they no longer had the time to sit down and   
talk to him for five minutes, when he had all the time in the   
world. He hated that he had to rely on Relena's visits to relieve   
the boredom and loneliness that was swamping him.   
  
And he hated that every time Heero looked at him it was with   
a sadness he couldn't alleviate.  
  
He'd never seen such a strong emotion in either Heero before,   
apart from the rage that had brightened his eyes when Julian had   
annoyed his own world's version. It hurt more than anything he   
could remember, to know that the other him was loved so deeply by   
this other Heero, so similar to the one he himself loved.  
  
A bitter smile touched his lips as he wondered why he seemed   
to be so unlovable to all the Heero's he met.  
  
"Julian?" a soft voice asked from behind him, and he turned   
to Relena, forcing his lips into a sweeter smile.  
  
"Hello, Relena."  
  
"Hi," she smiled gently back. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Just missing home."  
  
Relena smiled in understanding, knowing what he was talking   
about. After all her home - her family, her father and her past -   
had been taken away from her at the beginning of the war, the   
difference being she wasn't ever going to get them back.  
  
"That doesn't surprise me. Do you mind if I join you?"  
  
Julian shrugged, "No. It'd be nice to have someone to talk   
to." He winced immediately afterwards, not meaning to have exposed   
so much of the loneliness that had been exacerbated in this   
unfamiliar world.   
  
Surprisingly, instead of looking surprised and shocked by his   
declaration, Relena's eyes showed only compassion, sympathy and   
understanding, "You're lonely...?" she whispered quietly.  
  
Blinking, Julian shrugged again, "I guess. You?"  
  
Relena inclined her head and stated simply: "How couldn't I   
be."  
  
Julian knew exactly what she meant, having come from the same   
situation. Being well known, with a whole heap of expectations   
weighing on you was not conducive to the development of deep and   
emotionally intimate relationships.   
  
No surprise then, that both of them had fixated on Heero, who   
was the first person either had met to not care about who they   
were. He saw _them_, not their parents or social position.  
  
It was rather ironic that the only person he truly disliked   
in his world, the condescending and cruel Relena, was a different   
version of the person he was closest to here. The two of them had   
so much in common it was almost scary.  
  
The silence that had fallen between them remained unbroken   
until Relena glanced upwards suddenly, "Julian?"  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"Could you... would you, um, hold me? Just for a while?"  
  
The sadness and loneliness in Relena's voice that found   
echoes within himself drew forwards the threat of tears and he   
nodded, swallowing thickly, "Yeah... if you'll...?"  
  
Relena smiled, tears gathering in her eyes as she leaned   
towards him and slipped tentative arms around his waist, laying her   
head against his chest. Julian's arms came up to encircle her   
also, pulling her into a more comfortable position before relaxing   
into the embrace, allowing the warmth of physical contact to   
comfort him. His cheek lay against soft hair and he smiled the   
same smile Relena had been wearing, closing his eyes and just   
holding on.  
  
He had no idea how long the two of them remained entwined   
there on the window seat drawing strength from one another in order   
to face the world. As they sat, an unspoken understanding grew   
between them, ensuring them the certainty of a true friend, even if   
the other was a world away.  
  
They were startled out of their quiet companionship when the   
light switch was turned on, bathing the room in harsh, bright   
light.   
  
Drawing abruptly away from one another, they turned to the   
door to find a frowning Heero staring at them in anger, jealousy   
and puzzlement. Then his face was wiped blank, "We've found   
something."  
  
Julian slipped automatically back into the role he'd chosen   
to play and, after sending a playful wink in Relena's direction, he   
glided across the room and took possession of Heero's arm, gazing   
up at him in adoration.  
  
"Heero! Where have you been, Relena-neechan and I have been   
waiting for you."  
  
Heero snorted and tugged at the arm in Julian's grip before   
growling, "Omae o korosu."   
  
He glanced across to where Relena was rising, smiling at the   
two of them. Then an extra sparkle appeared in her eyes and she   
was suddenly there, grabbing hold of the arm Julian didn't have,   
"We waited and waited, Heero, but you didn't come. Why don't you   
ever come and kill me like you said you would?"  
  
Julian laughed, liking Relena even more and appreciating the   
sudden angry bewilderment on Heero's face as he looked at the two   
of them, "You keep promising us you'll kill us, Heero, but you   
never do. Why? What did we do wrong?"  
  
"Baka," Wufei spoke concisely from behind Heero, peering in   
the doorway. "We've found something that might help us get you   
back to your world. Do you want to know about it or not?"  
  
Julian's eyes went blank for a moment as reality reasserted   
itself and he smiled at the Chinese pilot, "Sure. Tell us."  
  
"Let go of me and I will," Heero mumbled.  
  
A frown of psuedo-confusion appeared on Julian's brow, "But   
Heero, I'm not stopping you."  
  
"Omae o korosu," the Japanese boy stated again, more   
emphatically, still stuck between Julian and Relena, who merely   
giggled and altered their grip, dragging him to the nearest couch   
and sitting him on it.  
  
Then they gazed at him brightly and expectantly, waiting.  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
"Okay then," Duo stated, slipping into the chair in front of   
the computer, glancing up at Heero, Relena and Meiran.   
  
"I found this research centre here and they're doing   
_something_ related to dimension-ish things, but I can't get any   
further than the information they have open to the public in   
general. Everything else about the project is tied up behind   
pretty heavy security. I've found four layers so far and each   
one's harder than the last," a tiny amused smile played about his   
mouth as he logged into the computer and quickly hacked into the   
research centre's system. He ploughed quickly through the four   
security layers then paused. "They've got someone there who's   
pretty paranoid about security, I'd say. Anyway, you wanna give   
the next layer a go?"  
  
He stood, making room for Heero who sat and began typing.  
  
"How'd you find out about this?" Relena asked quietly from   
beside Duo, watching the monitor.  
  
"Hmm? Well, the thing that the guy gave me back in my world   
was probably science-y, if you know what I mean. It made sense to   
look around for research centres around the area where I was when   
everything happened," he shrugged. "There were quite a few around   
for some reason, but most of them specialised in bio-chemical-type   
stuff. I concentrated on the others, finding out what they were   
working on and came up with this as the nearest match."  
  
Relena nodded, lifting her hand to point something on the   
monitor out to Heero, finding Duo's finger at the same place at the   
same time. They looked at each other and grinned as Heero made an   
impatient sound in the back of his throat.  
  
"Why don't you go do something else?"  
  
Duo shook his head, "Nah. Thanks, man, but I gotta know.   
Promise I won't bother you any more though, ne?"  
  
"Same," Relena said and the two retired to sit on the other   
side of the room, leaning up against the wall. Meiran joined them,   
clasping her hands around her knees.  
  
"Duo?" her voice was quiet.  
  
Duo looked across at her with an eyebrow raised, "Yeah?"  
  
She blushed, "Can you... can you tell me about Wufei? I   
never really got the chance to know him, and I was wondering..."  
  
Duo grinned at her, "Wufei... Heh, what can I say? He's this   
great justice freak who constantly moans about women, the ultimate   
in chauvinism and spends most of his time with 'Nataku'."  
  
Meiran looked rather disappointed as he began, nodding at the   
similarities between her memories and what Duo was saying, though   
she found she was still surprised by the name by which Wufei had   
chosen to call his Gundam. It made her think that maybe she had   
meant something to her husband after all.  
  
"But he's cool. He's a really good pilot, and despite what   
he says when he mumbles about not knowing what justice is, he does   
a good job of keeping it. It must've been hard for him to change   
from being a scholar to being a warrior, but he managed. He still   
thinks too much to be a really good soldier."  
  
The Chinese girl liked that better than the first comments   
Duo had made, smiling a little in pride and a certain amount of   
sadness.  
  
"Has he...?" Meiran blushed again and didn't continue.  
  
Duo looked at her strangely for a moment then light dawned   
and he shook his head, "Nah, he hasn't got a girlfriend..." Duo   
trailed off as something dawned on him, "Though there _is_ Sally."   
He grinned, "You'd like her. She can keep him in line, y'know, and   
she won't put up with him being stupid or anything."  
  
Meiran nodded, "Good. I'm glad. He was an idiot, really,   
but..."  
  
"But he's worth a little effort and needs a girlfriend to   
show him how things are?"  
  
A laugh made it's way out of Meiran, "Yeah."  
  
Then a sly grin emerged on Duo's face, "What about you and   
Trowa?"  
  
Relena was the one that laughed this time, "See, Meiran, I   
_told_ you it was obvious."  
  
Meiran blushed again.  
  
"I still think it's strange that it's not Quatre and Trowa   
though. I mean, those guys seemed perfect for each other."  
  
The two girls looked a little shocked at that.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Trowa and _Quatre_!? You're kidding, right?"  
  
Duo blinked, "I... didn't tell you?"  
  
Meiran shook her head, wide-eyed and Relena bent a mild glare   
his way, torn between asking for all the details and concern for   
how her friend would take _that_ piece of information.  
  
"Oh. Um, well, yeah, they're a couple. I think it was love   
at first sight, ne? On Quatre's part anyway, it's kind of hard to   
tell what's going on with Trowa. But Quatre finally got through to   
him and," Duo shrugged, "They're happy."  
  
Then Relena's glare and the glances she was sending towards   
Meiran caught up with him and a slightly worried look appeared in   
his eyes as he watched the Chinese girl for her reaction, ready to   
make amends if necessary.  
  
Meiran stared blankly at nothing for a few long, tense   
moments, then laughed, startling her two friends. She smiled at   
them, "You know, they _would_ make a cute couple, if I wasn't   
around."  
  
"I'm done," a flat, nasal voice broke in on them and they all   
looked up at Heero who had spun around to face them from in front   
of the computer. He sent a curious look in Duo's direction,   
flicked his gaze to Meiran then settled back on Duo, who rose and   
approached.   
  
"The project is researching the possibility of using   
dimensional energies and Dr. Keller has apparently made a break   
through with the invention of the Keller. It's supposed to create   
minor rifts between dimensions and gather energy from it," Heero   
swung aside and let Duo look at the monitor where a picture was   
displayed.  
  
It was a small rounded object, shining in metallic glory and   
superimposed over a set of blueprints.  
  
Duo looked at it for a second, "Well, cover it with a towel   
and it'd look exactly like the thing that probably brought me   
here." He grinned widely at the other three, "I guess this means   
we go and visit Dr. Keller."   
  
==Owari, Chapter Six==  
  
Thanks to Carm for suggesting Dorothy's appearance, we're sure to   
be seeing more of her ^_^  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  



	7. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
Dedicated, as always, to Kellryn.  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Relena tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable   
position and the peace of mind to sleep, but no matter on which   
side she lay, she couldn't. An impatient sound made its way out of   
her throat and she sat up, drawing her legs up and resting her arms   
on them, noting in passing the early hour.   
  
Her gaze went across the room to where Julian lay, still and   
silent in sleep. A bittersweet smile pulled at her lips as she   
stared into the gloomy darkness for long moments, as she   
contemplated not wanting Julian to leave to return to his world.   
She felt a kinship with him that was shared by no one else and it   
made her feel a little less lonely. He understood the pressures   
that she was under and the necessity of having a release such as   
Heero; after all, Heero was Julian's release too.  
  
A deep sigh was pulled from the depths of her soul as she   
acknowledged to herself that Julian meant a lot to her, even if   
they'd only known each other for a few weeks.  
  
It was nice to have a brother.  
  
She knew she had one, somewhere in the world, but now it   
seemed as though she had another, but he wasn't going to be here   
for long and it just wouldn't be the same with Duo, if he even   
acknowledged the possibility that they were related.  
  
"Relena?"  
  
Relena started at the quiet voice that drifted through the   
darkness and blinked her thoughts away, focussing on what she was   
staring at. Julian had raised himself up also and was sitting in a   
similar position to herself, his head resting on his knees, and his   
face turned to face her.  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"Can't sleep, huh?"  
  
"No," Relena whispered back, unwilling to break the spell of   
softness that was settling around them.  
  
"Relena..." Julian shifted, sheets rustling, "What should I   
do if I get back?"  
  
Relena slowly released the breath she had just drawn and   
asked, "Do about what?"  
  
But she knew what he meant. It was a decision she also had   
to make, when things were once more as they had been - when Duo was   
back and he and Heero were together again. She knew about them, of   
course she did, how could she not, when Heero looked at Julian the   
way he did? And she had been slowly coming to terms with it.   
  
Julian didn't say anything, didn't push her into admitting   
she knew what he meant and she bowed her head, her hair falling   
forwards to obscure her face. Julian was one of the reasons she   
had been able to accept that Heero loved someone else and they had   
spent long hours talking of their Heero's, wishing and hoping, but   
ultimately knowing that each of them belonged to someone else.  
  
Relena rose from the bed, gathering the blankets about her as   
she crossed the room to sit cross-legged on Julian's bed, facing   
him. She leaned forwards, her hand reaching out to rest on his   
nape, pulling his head forwards until their foreheads rested   
against one another.  
  
"We know, Julian, don't we? What we have to do?"  
  
Julian's hand came up to cover her second hand, resting   
against her knee, "Yeah..."  
  
And Relena finally put into words, the realisation both had   
come to through this situation they found themselves a part of,   
"Heero... Heero loves Duo, I know that and I want him to be happy.   
And I don't need his strength now as much as I did, so I'll be   
happy for them and hope one day I'll find someone to love as much   
as I do him."  
  
"Even if I managed to take Heero away from her, he'd still   
love her and I can't settle for less than he gives her. I want   
everything he gives to her and I don't think I could stand being   
with him and not having it," Julian finished off.  
  
Relena nodded, something that was half-sob, half-laugh   
catching in her throat, "We, both of us, deserve that."  
  
They sat in silence, once more drawing comfort from one   
another, knowing they weren't alone. Then Julian's shoulders began   
to shake and he drew back, laughing silently into puzzled Relena's   
face, "But do we let them off?"  
  
"Let them... Oh!" and Relena giggled. The image of Heero's   
face the last time they'd glomped him came to mind and she shook   
her head, "When it's so much fun?"  
  
Julian's laughter gained volume, "What about if we started on   
the rest of them too? Can you imagine Wufei's face if you jumped   
him?"  
  
"Or Duo! And the other Relena."  
  
Images of people's faces, caught in a series of terribly   
funny shocked glances flew through each mind, for some reason   
always returning back to various Wufei expressions.  
  
"We _have_ to try it on Wufei!" Relena decided and Julian   
concurred.  
  
"No doubt about it. And we shouldn't do anything at other   
times..."  
  
"...Keep them off-balance."  
  
They looked at each other as the grey light of predawn   
lightened room and were caught in the sparkling eyes of each other,   
brimming full of fun. And they burst out laughing again, Relena   
falling backwards and Julian to one side as they continued to laugh   
in a companionable mirth as day broke across them.  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Milliard and Treize waved to Duo and Heero as they drove away   
from the safe house, heading for the airbase that would lead them   
eventually to the research centre where they were hoping to find a   
certain Dr. Keller and the machine he'd built to gather dimensional   
energies.   
  
Duo waved back before turning forwards. He flicked his bangs   
out of his face and smiled, happy to finally be doing something   
that would get him back to his own world. Even if the gadget   
didn't work, at least he wasn't sitting around being Julian any   
longer. Despite the fact that what he'd learnt over the past weeks   
could come in handy sometime in the future, it wasn't him and he   
didn't think it ever would be.   
  
Not to mention the fact that he was a soldier and staying   
would require a total change of profession and attitude, unless he   
faked Julian's death. But then, Julian would be left without his   
life if he ever returned.  
  
Leaning back against the seat, Duo slowly let his eyes drift   
shut in bliss and sat in contentment as they drove towards the   
airbase where the other four Gundam pilots were waiting for them   
with Gundams and transport planes.   
  
A flash of sunlight momentarily warmed his eyelids and his   
eyes flew open, wondering where that came from. He blinked the red   
after image out of his eyes and peered intently out the back   
window. It didn't take him long to spy what had caused the red   
heat and frowned as he gazed at the vehicle that was pulling out of   
a copse of trees on the side of the road behind them.  
  
"Um, Heero?"  
  
He was answered by a grunt of inquiry.  
  
"I hate to tell you this, but there seems to be a giant   
golden limousine following us."  
  
And indeed there was. Heero tried to loose it, something   
fairly difficult to do on an open country road. Nor did he have   
much luck in the surrounding towns, only small ones existing   
between the Peacecraft mansion and the airbase.   
  
"Stop already," Duo muttered as he continued to watch the   
limousine that suddenly began to close in on them. Heero took his   
advice and slammed on the breaks, brining the jeep they were in to   
an abrupt halt and jumped out, followed by Duo.  
  
Duo squinted, shading his eyes as he tried to extend his   
vision. He caught a flash of blonde hair through the windscreen   
and frowned, "That's that Dorothy girl, isn't it?"  
  
Heero grunted as he waited for the golden machine to pull up,   
a gun clasped comfortably in his hand.   
  
Dorothy climbed out of the car, and Duo found it a little   
surprising that she had been driving it herself. There was   
obviously more to the girl than at first seemed and he decided   
keeping an eye on her would be a good thing, if he had to stay   
here.  
  
"Julian-sama! I saw you driving with this person and   
wondered if you were being kidnapped."  
  
Duo raised and eyebrow as Heero growled again, "Go away."  
  
"Thank you for your concern Dorothy-san, but I'm not in   
danger at the moment. This is, er, a friend," Duo said politely,   
watching the blonde carefully.  
  
The blue eyes narrowed as they weighed him and he found the   
gaze somewhat disconcerting before shrugging it's effects off, "But   
_are_ you Julian-sama?"  
  
Neither Heero nor Duo had an answer for that, unknowing   
whether she was asking seriously and unwilling to give details   
anyway, so they remained silent, wary.  
  
"When you travel with a Gundam pilot?"  
  
Heero's gun came up at that, pointing directly towards her   
face, but she ignored it, her eyes still fastened on Duo to the   
exclusion of all else and there was something there, beyond the   
satisfaction she obviously felt at shocking them both. And Duo   
could see what it was.  
  
"You want... to come with us," Duo pronounced slowly,   
watching the excitement that dawned in her eyes and blossomed into   
a desire for just that.  
  
"Yes," she breathed.  
  
Heero snorted, "No."  
  
Duo glanced at the pilot and rolled his eyes before turning   
back to the blonde, who's eyes were glaring at Heero, promising a   
less-than-pleasant ending to the situation if it continued the way   
it was going. But he ignored the hostile by-play and stared at the   
blonde, seeing again the desire for excitement that dwelt within   
her. Quite obviously an adrenaline junkie, he mused, wondering   
what sort of life she led and whether it satisfied any of her   
cravings.  
  
A smile quirked his lips, "You might want to lose the car for   
the time being - it's pretty conspicuous. We'll give you ten   
minutes."  
  
Dorothy's brilliant gaze acknowledged the time limit and she   
folded herself back into the car, moving off to find somewhere to   
hide it for however long she was going to be gone.  
  
"You _want_ her to come?" Heero hissed.  
  
Duo shrugged, "When she could make trouble, and _will_ if she   
doesn't? This way we can make sure she doesn't. Besides, if her   
life is anything like Julian's, I don't blame her for wanting to do   
something a little different."  
  
Heero moved closer to Duo, leaning towards him to give the   
impression of looming, and murmured in a menacing voice, "Duo..."  
  
The indigo eyes flashed, "Look, Heero, this isn't a _mission_   
the same way the other ones are. But I want it completed   
successfully or I won't get home. She comes, unless you can   
_guarantee_ she _won't_ cause trouble. Understand?" Now it was   
Duo looming, his eyes almost glowing as he stared, unflinching into   
Heero's angry eyes.  
  
Then Dorothy was back and Duo broke away to smile at the   
blonde, "We'd better get going or we'll be late. Heero, you   
coming?"  
  
A frustrated sound emerged from the Japanese pilot as he   
reluctantly slid back into the jeep, starting it up and heading for   
the airbase once more. But he refused to speak to either of them   
for the remainder of the journey.  
  
Duo and Dorothy, on the other hand, had a lot to say.  
  
"So, if you're not Julian-sama, who are you? And what   
happened to him?"  
  
Duo pondered for a while then shrugged, "My real name is Duo   
Maxwell..."  
  
"Maxwell?!" Dorothy broke in sharply, the name obviously   
ringing a bell, "But that's the name of one of the Gundam pilots."  
  
Duo grinned at her, "Yeah. Relena, she's cool. Anyway, I'm   
not Julian, I'm his... counterpart, I suppose, from a different   
world or universe or something. Somehow we ended up switching and   
here I am. But I need to get back and Julian probably wants to   
come home, so we're going looking for a way to do that."  
  
Dorothy's eyes leeched of expression and remained that way as   
she absorbed Duo's speech, finally casting an amazed look at the   
back of Heero's head, "He believes this?"  
  
"Yeah," Duo shrugged, "He didn't really have much choice."  
  
Narrowing, Dorothy's eyes caught his, "And why are you   
telling me this when it could be damaging to your reputation if it   
was to get out?"  
  
"Not to my reputation, to Julian's. And if he doesn't get   
back here, who am I to care about what state his reputation is in?   
I'm _not_ going to keep pretending to be him. Besides, do you   
think people will take your word for it if I deny everything and   
look incredibly cute while doing it?" Duo's smile widened, teasing   
Dorothy into letting her guard down, into loosening up.  
  
They continued to talk, light-heartedly on Duo's part and   
defensively and confrontationally on Dorothy's, as they neared the   
airbase and worked out the limits they had set for each other in   
this outing.  
  
And Heero continued to remain silent, fuming in the front   
seat, half due to Dorothy's presence and half due to being ignored   
by the two longhaired bakas in the back.  
  
==========  
  
Trowa glanced up from where he stood near a large   
transporter, waiting for Heero and Duo to arrive. The trucks   
containing Heavyarms and Wing were securely attached to the floor   
of the plane, covered in the tarpaulin that usually obscured them   
from view. Shenlon was also there, Meiran making the last minute   
attachments as a jeep pulled up beside the tall pilot and emitted   
three people.   
  
Trowa blinked at the third, taking in the long blonde hair,   
eyebrows and legs before looking to Heero for an explanation. He   
shrugged and glanced across at Duo who was heading towards the   
transport, followed closely by Dorothy.  
  
"Heya, Meiran. How's things?" he asked as he waved to her.  
  
"Fine, thank you, Duo," she called back, lifting a hand in   
greeting from the top of the swathes of grey tarpaulin. She also   
noticed Dorothy, following the other girl with guarded brown eyes,   
then flicked her gaze to Heero and Trowa who had followed the other   
two up the ramp and into the plane.   
  
Trowa shrugged at her and stood waiting until she climbed   
down, walking side by side with her towards the front of the plane.   
Halfway there, the engines started up and they picked up their   
pace, hurrying to find seats for take-off.   
  
Both of them were rather surprised to find Duo in the pilot's   
seat, running through pre-flight checks and chatting with Dorothy   
who seemed to have a few problems with him piloting. It seemed she   
was aware of Julian being unable to fly.  
  
"But you don't have your licence, you can't fly."  
  
"The presence of a licence doesn't mean you can fly. Trust   
me, Dorothy, I can fly _anything_. I'm even better at it than   
Heero."  
  
Heero, sitting in the co-pilots seat, glared at the oblivious   
Duo, objecting silently to the claim. Trowa blinked at the   
annoyance that was visible in his eyes, wondering why such a   
statement would cause that reaction. Normally he wouldn't care   
what other people said, but this time he obviously did. Something   
must have happened since he and the others had left earlier that   
day - maybe it had something to do with Dorothy.  
  
Trowa slid into the third row of chairs, behind Dorothy and   
across from Meiran, settling back and clipping his seatbelt firmly   
around his chest and waist. He'd take Duo's word on his piloting   
abilities, but that didn't mean he had to trust he was as good as   
Heero, or that this would be a smooth flight.  
  
But it was, from the effortless lift-off into the clear blue   
skies and all the way across the Mediterranean and down into Egypt   
where the base was.   
  
He was rather impressed with Duo's piloting abilities and   
relaxed enough to begin to enjoy the flight, quietly watching the   
clouds above and below. Then he felt something take his hand and   
looked around to where Meiran sat, watching him nervously. He   
blinked, not entirely sure what to do with the hand he now held and   
looked down at it as though it might provide answers. He found   
himself fascinated by the contrast, the tiny, dark hand clasped   
delicately around his larger, rougher hand. The two of them fit so   
well together, they looked right - correct.  
  
He lifted his head and smiled gently at Meiran, who smiled   
back, her eyes meltingly soft and happy. They both turned to the   
front, content in the simple touch that held them together. There   
was no need for words.  
  
His thoughts drifted quietly to their current mission, given   
to them by Duo. He thought about what success would mean and what   
failure would mean and decided, after looking at the back of Duo's   
head, that he didn't really mind how things ended up. He liked   
Duo; the dimensional traveller was fun to talk to and didn't mind   
that he was silent. He was willing to fill in silences for him,   
never asking for, or expecting, anything in return.   
  
He also didn't mind Julian. He, of all the pilots, had the   
least to do with the Peacecraft, the other boy finding his silence   
hard to deal with. But, despite his chasing Heero across the   
world, he was good at what he did and would advance peace in the   
world faster than if he wasn't here.  
  
Trowa remembered a conference he'd been to sometime ago to   
organise an 'accident' for one of it's attendees who had been   
suspected of sowing dissension amongst the others who had attended.   
It had given him the chance to see Julian in action and he'd been   
rather surprised by the charismatic, reasonable and mature person   
that had stood in front of an audience of thousands to speak. He'd   
had as much of an effect on the people there as Treize or Milliard.  
  
So, whether Duo remained or Julian returned was of little   
consequence to himself and a little more to the world. Though he   
suspected he would miss the cheerful American.   
  
The sun sank below the horizon outside and Duo turned control   
of the plane over to Heero in order to get some sleep. Dorothy's   
head had already dropped forwards, soft sounds of snoring emerging   
from her as she shifted minutely on her chair. Trowa glanced   
across at Meiran and found her eyes at half-mast, dazed with sleep   
though not quite there. He raised their hands, still loosely   
joined and brushed his lips across her knuckles. She turned her   
head and smiled sleepily, curling more comfortably into her chair   
and slowly drifted into sleep. Trowa lifted her hand and gently   
laid it on her thigh, watching it being drawn into her body and   
laid his own hand in his lap before composing himself for sleep.   
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME WORLD:  
----------  
  
Quatre yawned as he drifted into the kitchen, still half   
asleep. The sound of laughter made him look up and he found Julian   
and Relena sitting at the table, bent towards each other and   
watching Wufei, who was, in turn, watching the two of them   
suspiciously and scowling.  
  
He grunted, not wanting to know what was going on. He wasn't   
a morning person and despised those who were, or those that   
displayed cheerful bright eyes before him. The laughter had   
already drifted gratingly down his spine, jarring him in his state   
of fuzzy grumpiness. He hated noise in the morning and people who   
tried to talk to him before he'd managed to shower and grab himself   
a cup of strong, black coffee. Which made Trowa such an ideal   
mate. He barely talked ever and that happily included first thing   
in the morning.  
  
He was glad that Duo had turned out to be a non-morning   
person too; he knew he couldn't have handled a genki American first   
thing in the morning. The others were all okay though, Wufei rose   
long before Quatre, so he was always out of the way when the blonde   
required the run of the house and Heero was as quiet as Trowa   
unless spoken to.  
  
But these two...   
  
Ever since Julian had joined them in the safe house it had   
been getting harder and harder to reign in his desire to growl   
first thing in the morning. Relena seemed to have a detrimental   
effect on the situation and he was glad she hadn't stayed the   
entire time Julian had been here.  
  
"Good morning, Quatre!" a cheerful voice broke in on his   
thoughts.  
  
He grunted again and sent a quelling glare towards the pair   
of Peacecrafts as he shuffled towards the coffee pot and poured   
himself a large mug full. Slumping into a chair at the table, he   
cradled it in his hands and drew in a deep breath of the bitter   
smell before taking his first sip.  
  
Tuning out the chatter of the boy and girl across from him he   
slowly began to awaken into something that was human and recalled   
that today was the day they were going to find Dr. Keller and the   
machine that would bring Duo back.  
  
The sooner, the better, he told himself, wanting the bad   
tempered late-riser back before the next morning, preferably.  
  
He finished off his coffee, moved through into his room for a   
shower and re-emerged refreshed and feeling much more himself.  
  
He smiled at the five people in the lounge, "Good morning.   
Are we all ready to go?"  
  
Heero and Wufei nodded and stood as Quatre's smile widened,   
"Then let's go shall we. It's a beautiful morning and we may as   
well make the most of it."  
  
They headed out in single file, Quatre followed by Heero,   
Trowa, Julian, Relena and Wufei and moved towards the jeep Heero   
had prepped the day before. It had a tank full of gas, all the   
essentials for breaking into an installation and no roof. All the   
good things in life, Quatre thought to himself as he slipped into   
the back, allowing Julian and Heero the front seats.  
  
Julian and Relena spoke quietly together for a few moments,   
smiles lighting their eyes, then Relena was standing in front of   
him. Quatre smiled politely and waited for her to say what she   
wanted to say, only to be surprised, shocked even, when she put her   
arms around him and hugged him gently. She was gone before he had   
time to react and when next he saw her she was hugging Heero,   
leaving a sputtering Wufei and a widened green eye in her wake.  
  
Then she was in front of Julian again and she stooped,   
leaning down to give him a hug before standing back. She would be   
staying behind in case of danger where she would only be a   
liability. She lifted a hand a waved as they spun past her,   
heading for the narrow drive that led to the road that would take   
them where they wanted to go.  
  
Julian looked back, returning the wave with sad eyes, knowing   
he may never get the chance to see Relena again, then turned away   
from the girl who was standing on the front steps of the small safe   
house, shading her eyes to get her last glimpse of the jeep as it   
disappeared between the trees.  
  
==Owari, Chapter Seven==  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  



	8. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
Dedicated, as always, to Kellryn.  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
The office looked empty and felt empty when Zechs   
stepped inside, ignoring the vaguely hostile gaze sent his way   
by the protective and jealous Lady Une. But Treize was   
expecting him so he was allowed to enter with impunity, though   
the slight itch between his shoulder blades wasn't the most   
pleasant sensation in the world.   
  
His blue eyes flashed around the office again, noting   
with a quirk of his lips, the usual bowl full of red roses   
whose scent seemed to permeate the room, before settling on   
the large leather-covered chair situated behind the desk. It   
was facing the window, a rather large clue as to his friend's   
whereabouts, since Treize was a neat freak and wouldn't leave   
the room without straightening it. So he moved towards the   
desk, turning slightly to lean against it casually while he   
waited for Treize to acknowledge him.   
  
It didn't take long and then he was looking at the   
ginger-haired leader of OZ. The older man's pensive gaze ran   
over him before a tiny smile touched his mouth.  
  
"Milliard, thank you for coming."  
  
Zechs inclined his head and tilted his head slightly to   
one side as he continued to wait, knowing nothing of the   
reason why Treize had asked him to come in.  
  
"I have a job for you."  
  
He blinked, knowing that was the only reason Treize   
would have called him here, but still, for his friend to call   
for him specifically...  
  
Anticipation curled in his stomach and a breath drifted   
from between his lips, "Of course."  
  
==========  
  
Relena watched as the jeep disappeared out of her line   
of sight, falling beyond the slope of the world, carrying with   
it the boy who had very quickly become her best friend.   
Taking a deep breath, a bittersweet smile curving her lips,   
she turned and moved back into the safe house the Gundam   
pilots had been using. Pargan stood in the doorway that led   
to the kitchen, his eyebrows drooping in sympathy, knowing how   
much she would miss Julian.   
  
She smiled at him reassuringly and made her way to the   
couch, curling up in a corner to think and remember. She   
would be happy if Duo returned from Julian's world, knowing   
that Heero and the other pilots missed him. Wufei had missed   
the chaotic American, though he'd never admit to it and so had   
Relena. She hadn't realised that the American had had an   
impact on her at all.  
  
Missions had been harder without a fifth pilot and   
winding down had also been harder without Duo around to break   
the tension and the guilt. Relena and Julian had done what   
they could, but neither was able to be as light-hearted as   
Duo. Quatre had also tried, but though he helped a little, he   
couldn't quite compare to the effect Duo had.  
  
But Duo's return would leave Relena without her brother   
and she would go back to being lonely. Even if she made an   
effort to be the pilot's friend, stopping her pursuit of Heero   
as she had said she would, she didn't think she could be as   
close to any of them as she was to Julian.  
  
"Relena-sama?" Pargan's voice broke in on her somewhat   
depressed thoughts and she shook them off, turning to smile at   
her chauffer.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"There may be a problem," he murmured, spinning the   
laptop on the table around, displaying it for Relena's eyes.   
Relena stood, noting that it was Pargan's laptop, not Heero's   
and then she got close enough to begin reading the message on   
the screen.  
  
A couple of seconds later she was staring, wide-eyed, at   
Pargan, "What are we going to do? We need to warn them."  
  
"Yes, Miss. But I don't think there is any way to   
contact them. Heero-san left his laptop here and I am not   
aware of the others having means of communication.  
  
Relena blinked and chewed nervously on her bottom lip as   
she pondered what they could do. There was no doubt the   
information was correct, Pargan was one of the best hackers   
she knew and he'd never steered her wrong before. So the   
pilots needed to be warned about the message and the only way   
that could happen was...  
  
Relena straightened her shoulders, donning a determined   
expression, "I guess we'll just have to go after them and let   
them know in person."  
  
Pargan's weathered face creased into a smile and he   
nodded in pride, "Very good, Relena-sama. I'll bring the car   
around."  
  
Relena smiled again, "Thank you."  
  
Pargan nodded and headed around the back of the safe   
house where the limousine was parked while Relena waited   
impatiently at the door.   
  
Relena clambered into the limousine, sitting back   
comfortably as Pargan took off down the road at a much higher   
speed than normal. Relena grinned at her transparent   
reflection in the window as she thanked heaven that she had   
Pargan around. There were times when she didn't know what she   
would do without him, and this was one of them.  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Duo swung out of the jeep that sat high on a hill,   
sheltered by a few trees, above the research station that   
supposedly created whatever it was that bought him to this   
world. He glanced down at the plain, grey building with it's   
impersonal windows, harsh lighting breaking the heaviness of   
the concrete. He wondered how the researchers could work in   
such a forbidding place but assumed that either they were   
oblivious to all but their research, or the inside was more   
welcoming than the outside.  
  
He guessed he'd be finding out fairly shortly, if things   
went the way they were supposed to. Not that they were   
expecting problems since it was only a research centre, and   
had little if anything to do with the military.  
  
Still...  
  
"This is ridiculous," he murmured, his voice carrying to   
Heero and Relena, who were standing next to him, also looking   
over the research centre from their vantage point.  
  
"What is?" Relena whispered.  
  
Duo craned his head around to glance at Trowa, Quatre,   
Meiran and Dorothy who were standing and watching over their   
shoulders, "This is meant to be an infiltration, right? So   
why do I get the feeling we're more of an assault force?"  
  
Relena laughed softly, "No one wants to be left behind.   
And we may need an assault force if anything goes wrong."  
  
Duo shook his head in disgust but chose not to answer.   
There wasn't really anything they could change at this point   
in time, so they may as well make the most of it.  
  
"Let's go," Heero murmured from beside him and set off   
down the hill on foot, followed by the others. He kept to   
what little cover there was, and did a very good job, but with   
everyone else trailing behind him, Duo, close behind the Japanese   
pilot, wasn't going to be surprised if they were caught.  
  
Duo automatically fell into step with Relena, the bounce in   
his step muted into something closer to a glide. He felt Dorothy   
and the other pilots behind him notice the change when the air   
began to fill with a tension that hadn't previously been there.   
The fact that Relena had dropped into the same pattern didn't   
escape him either and he turned his head to glance at her,   
catching her blue eyes almost glowing in anticipation. They   
smiled at each other, a tiny quirk of the lips and turned back to   
the front.  
  
It had been quite a while since he'd done anything quite   
like this. Solo infiltrations and stealing was fairly common,   
but a group infiltration was not. And to have a fellow-thief   
along for the ride... his adrenaline was already up and he found   
it hard to keep the grin off his face. But that was all right   
since Relena seemed to be having the same problem. They glanced   
at one another involuntarily, once more clashed with excited blue   
eyes and the two of them covered their mouths as they burst into   
muted giggles.   
  
Heero glanced over his shoulder to glare at them and they   
each took a deep breath, calming themselves before turning their   
eyes to take in everything in front of them.  
  
Various surveillance cameras were spotted, along with exits   
in the form of doors, windows and ventilation shafts. A single   
guard was stationed at the entrance. Nothing out of the ordinary   
and nothing that couldn't be overcome. Except...  
  
Duo frowned at the military-style jeep sitting in one of   
the parking spaces at the front of the building, a tingle working   
it's way down his spine. Duo nudged Relena, drawing her   
attention to the vehicle and she nodded, also frowning.  
  
"An assault force might be needed after all," he whispered.  
  
Relena nodded again, "Maybe..."  
  
"Split up?"  
  
"Yeah. There's something..."  
  
Understanding her feeling of unease, Duo nodded and the two   
ducked behind the most comprehensive cover they could find,   
waving their companions into hiding with them.  
  
"Okay," Relena murmured, "Duo and I think we should split   
up. There's something not quite right here."  
  
"Like what?" Meiran whispered, taking her cues from the two   
thieves present.  
  
"There's a military vehicle in the parking lot. We don't   
know if it means anything, but just in case, it might be better   
if we change the plan a little."  
  
The Chinese girl raised her eyebrows in surprise, not   
having noticed the jeep, "One vehicle? Don't you think you're   
being a little paranoid? For all we know, it could be one of the   
scientist's cars."  
  
Duo grinned, "Being paranoid is the only way to make sure   
you don't get caught, trust me on this. One vehicle, one person,   
is enough to call in backup, and it's possible that there are   
others around the other side of the building."  
  
Relena nodded quietly, "Yeah. Duo and me are going to head   
off and find another way in, you guys stick to the original   
plan."  
  
Duo nodded, "One more thing, Trowa, you're in charge here."  
  
Trowa blinked, surprised, as did the others.  
  
"Why Trowa?" Dorothy wanted to know. "Shouldn't Heero...?"  
  
"'Cause he knows what to do better than the rest of you,   
even Heero," Duo grinned at the silent pilot, "He's done this   
sort of thing before, ne, Trowa?"  
  
Green eyes blinked an affirmative.  
  
"See?"  
  
Relena grinned again and motioned for Duo to join her,   
"Rendezvous at the jeep if we don't join you in there. Bye."   
  
Duo waved goodbye and followed Relena into the low cover,   
disappearing before any of the others could protest.  
  
Meiran sighed, "Well then... Lead on, Trowa."  
  
==========  
  
Lieutenant Noin leaned against a desk, arms and ankles   
crossed as she listened impassively to Professor Keller expound   
upon the wonders of his machine. She couldn't remember what he   
had called it - some long involved name that apparently explained   
what it did. She'd nodded when he'd mentioned it, nodded again   
when he explained that it would gather energy from dimensional   
rifts and harness it, and continued nodding through the jargon-  
filled nonsense that had followed.   
  
She wasn't interested in the mechanics behind the machine   
so she'd stopped listening after the first few paragraphs, and   
began cataloguing Keller's person and lab instead. It was small,   
his funding obviously being less than that of the other   
scientists who worked here. According to Keller, people found   
his idea laughable. Noin wasn't sure she didn't either, but   
until she had finished hearing him out and watched a   
demonstration, she was remaining where she was. Lady Une wanted   
to know if it worked, and, beyond that, if it was cost effective,   
and she was going to find out.  
  
Once she had found out, she was either going to approve   
funding for further research and development, or she was going to   
leave. If only Keller would hurry and get to the money the   
machine would require to make and the levels of energy it could   
gather. But Keller was a male, this was his baby and Noin was   
familiar with a man's ego, especially when it came to their   
life's work. So she remained, relaxed and bored, waiting for the   
man to wind down.  
  
At least she had been prepared for this when Une had sent   
her, and she had been promised something much more interesting to   
do as soon as she had finished here.  
  
Suppressing a yawn, she glanced incuriously out the window,   
looking across the hillside, dotted with small trees and shrubs,   
and admiring the bright blue of the sky. A flash of movement   
from the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned   
her face towards it. A tiny smile graced her features as she   
recognised the movement as a relief from boredom.   
  
Pushing herself away from the desk, she held a hand up to   
halt Professor Keller, who stopped speaking, unpleasantly   
surprised by the interruption, "One moment, please, Professor. I   
believe we have visitors and perhaps a small welcome would be   
appropriate."  
  
Fishing a comm unit from her uniform pocket, she was put   
through to the nearest base and began outlining her requirements   
to its commander, finally signing out with a smile. She turned   
back to the Professor, confident that her orders would be obeyed,   
"Now where were we?"  
  
==========  
  
Duo and Relena made their way easily into the building   
through a side door after sneaking past a couple of security   
cameras and picking a lock.   
  
"Piece of cake, so far. Security's pretty lousy." Relena   
murmured into Duo's ear, flattening herself into the very shallow   
bay that held the door.  
  
"So far. Security office?"  
  
"Yep, that's the best bet. At least we can keep an eye on   
things and they should have records of who the visitor is and   
details of what little security there is."  
  
Duo brushed some bangs out of his eyes and glanced down the   
corridor again. "We've got a camera in the hall, looks like it   
gives full coverage. But, as in the blueprints, we have a lab   
about three metres away that leads through to the main corridor,   
which, in turn, will lead to the security office."  
  
Relena glared a little, "I _have_ seen the blueprints, too,   
y'know. Let's just go."  
  
Duo sighed as the blonde moved past him, sauntering through   
the corridor as if she belonged there and paused, eyeing the   
basic keypad attached to the handle. Her hand went out, a flash   
of light catching the switchblade she held as she quickly pried   
open the face and cut the wires. Duo caught up to her, looking   
equally at home and, laying a hand companionably on her shoulder   
and waving a hand as though speaking for appearances sake, opened   
the door and the two of them slipped through.  
  
A painfully thin woman glanced up from where she sat at one   
of the benches spread throughout the room, and blinked at them,   
"Yes?"  
  
Relena stepped forwards, taking note of the camera on the   
wall but choosing to ignore it since she didn't have a choice,   
"Sorry for the interruption, but we're looking for Professor   
Keller. We were told to head this way, but I think we got lost."  
  
Distracted blue eyes flickered downwards towards the sheaf   
of papers on the bench in front of her before she turned back to   
them, calmly blinking again before she shrugged, "I would guess   
so. He's on the west side of the building, this is the north.   
Take the corridor that way," she pointed in the direction they'd   
come from, turn left at the end of the hall and follow the   
corridor until you come to the door with Keller's name on it."  
  
"Thanks very much, we were starting to think we'd be late."  
  
The woman shrugged and turned back to her work. Relena   
turned to Duo in resignation, she may not have realised that they   
had walked through a security door to get in, but she'd likely   
notice if they ignored her instructions and walked past her to   
get to the other door. She found Duo straightening the collar of   
a lab coat and slipping his hands into the pockets.  
  
Noticing Relena looking at him, he shrugged and turned to   
leave, "Let's go, then."  
  
Relena sighed and walked past the now-empty coat-rack next   
to the door and swung back into the corridor, following Duo in   
the opposite direction from where they had been pointed.  
  
"Lucky she was one of those absent-minded types, huh?"  
  
Relena shrugged, "Doesn't really matter, she would've been   
easy to neutralise anyway."  
  
"Neutralise? You've been spending _way_ too much time   
'round Heero."  
  
Relena laughed and followed Duo the rest of the way to the   
security office where Duo slipped out of the coat, tossing it a   
few metres down the corridor. Then he lifted his hand and   
knocked quietly. Relena positioned herself to one side of the   
door as it opened and the other pilot smiled disarmingly at the   
guard.  
  
"Hi, we're here at the request of the centre's head to do a   
security check. Apparently one of the scientist-types is being   
all paranoid about his research."  
  
The guard frowned, "I didn't hear anything about a security   
check."  
  
Duo shrugged again, "You got problems, man, talk to the   
boss. We're just here to do a job."  
  
The guard nodded and, casting a quick appreciative glance   
over Relena, turned back into the room, "I'll just call to make   
sure."  
  
They took the opening, of course, and soon the guard was   
sprawled out in front of them. Duo retrieved the lab coat,   
closed and locked the door behind him and went to join Relena at   
the bank of monitors that made up an entire wall of the dark   
room.  
  
"Anything?"  
  
"Give me a sec, Duo. This system's pretty old and slow.   
Keep an eye on the screens."  
  
A window popped up on the monitor sitting on the desk and   
Relena scrolled through the file options, looking for the system   
specs, while Duo took the chance to watch the monitors, keeping   
an eye out for anything slightly out of place.  
  
"Wonder how the others are doing," Relena murmured quietly   
as she brought up the appropriate file and glanced through it.   
"Systems about as bad as we thought. The cameras and keypads are   
about it, along with the guard at the gate...'  
  
"Who the others have taken out, by the looks of things. If   
they're that careless, I hate to think what's going to happen."  
  
Relena glanced up, following Duo's finger towards the image   
of the small empty office that would normally have been occupied,   
"Given the quality of guards and security, it doesn't matter."  
  
Sighing, Duo waved a hand briefly, "Yeah, but they didn't   
know that."  
  
"Doesn't matter now. Anyway, apart from that there's only   
a one man night patrol that wanders around after everyone goes   
home."  
  
"Right. The visitor?"  
  
Relena pressed a few keys and read the next window that   
popped up. She frowned, "That's not good."  
  
Her companion glanced down, reading the names on the   
screen, "Lieutenant Noin? Sounds familiar..."  
  
"She's Lady Une's second-in-command."  
  
"Lady Une?"  
  
Relena turned to look at him in amazement, "You don't know?   
Lady Une's the commander of OZ, idiot." It was then that she   
recalled that on Duo's world, Treize had been the leader of OZ,   
so it was probable that he wouldn't know "...sorry."  
  
Duo glared for a short while anyway, then went back to his   
watching, "So, if she gets the chance to contact someone when she   
finds out about the others, we could be in trouble."  
  
"I think that about sums it up."  
  
"So we let them know, then hang around here as backup."  
  
"Sounds like a plan."  
  
Relena pulled out her comm unit and began keying in a   
familiar number, until Duo grabbed her wrist. She glanced up to   
see him shaking his head and lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"I think they already know," he muttered, directing her   
towards another monitor where their colleagues were facing off   
against a woman with short dark hair and a dark green OZ uniform.   
Her hand, holding a familiar dark object, was extended towards   
the pilots.  
  
Relena drew in a sharp breath and hoped that the gun wasn't   
going to be used on her friends.  
  
==Owari, Chapter Eight==  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  



	9. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
Dedicated, as always, to Kellryn.  
  
==========  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
An ordinary-looking sedan drew to a halt outside the guard booth   
at the entrance to the research centre, Pargan rolling down the window   
to attract the attention of the guard sitting at the window, his head   
bowed. They had decided that the pink limo would be a little too   
inconspicuous for their mission and Relena had reluctantly allowed   
Pargan to steal them a more appropriate vehicle.  
  
There was no response to Pargan's voice, nor was there a response   
when he climbed out of the car and shook the guard's shoulder. The   
guard did begin to slide off the chair however, and the small hole over   
his heart, rimmed with black powder and blood, rendered any other   
attempts unnecessary.  
  
Relena wrinkled her nose in disgust, hating that the pilots found   
this sort of thing necessary. What was wrong with a cloth full of   
chloroform, or something similar that would mean the player was out of   
the game, but not out of life? She sighed. But the Gundam pilots were   
soldiers and terrorists so what more could she expect? She had lived   
with and accepted it for this long, she would continue to do so and   
hope that one day it wouldn't be necessary.  
  
Pargan drove through the gate and parked amongst the centre   
employees' vehicles. Without waiting for him to open the door for her,   
Relena climbed out and started for the door, knowing that any attempt   
at stealth would probably go very badly. Pargan silently fell into   
step behind her and she found herself grateful for his presence once   
again.  
  
Just before they reached the front door, she heard the sound of   
other vehicles approaching and turned to see a few military vehicles   
appear at the top of the hill and continue down the road that would   
lead them directly to the research centre.  
  
She picked up her pace, sweeping into the main reception area and   
bearing down on the hapless receptionist, every iota of command she   
possessed radiating from her.  
  
Startled by her aura, the young man hastily and involuntarily   
stood, responding to the imperious gesture she made.  
  
"I am here to see Professor Keller. Where can I find him?"  
  
"Uh... Miss Peacecraft..."   
  
Relena made a brief, snapping motion with her hand, "Take me to   
him. This is important."  
  
He responded to the order, stepping out from behind the desk,   
"Yes, ma'am. This way, please."  
  
Relena sighed in relief, never more thankful for her long   
submergence in the political arena of the world than at this moment.   
The ability to command had been trained into her from a very young age   
and she had mastered it.  
  
She paced down the corridors beside the young man, her impatient   
step pushing him to walk faster than usual and her tight lips   
discouraging any attempts at conversation. Then he paused at a door   
and gestured to it.  
  
"This is it, ma'am."  
  
Relena glanced at the keypad, noted it's less than pristine state   
and wrapped a hand around the door handle. She opened the door with a   
firm, confidant push and took a step into the room, her head set high   
and her eyes hard. Pargan stepped up close behind her, his body tense   
in anticipation of action.  
  
Taking in the scene with a glance, Relena strode forwards,   
deciding to single her brother out for attention. She stopped in front   
of him and stared into the startled pale blue eyes behind the silver   
mask. She opened her mouth to speak, but rather than addressing the   
man in front of her, she addressed the Gundam pilots standing frozen   
behind her.  
  
"Hurry, go. Zechs called in reinforcements and they should be   
here by now. Professor Keller," she now addressed the only other   
person in the room. "These people and I require your help. Please go   
with them and take your invention with you. I will personally ensure   
your safe return."   
  
She watched her brother's expression turn slowly turn from   
surprise at her appearance turn to anger. He opened his mouth to   
speak.  
  
Relena laid her hand on his chest, pushing very lightly against   
the red jacket, "No. This is important, Milliard."  
  
Zechs involuntarily glanced down at her use of his real name and   
his eyes softened imperceptibly. Behind her she heard a surprised gasp   
and wondered fleetingly what that was about before dismissing it as   
unimportant in the face of keeping her brother under control. Zechs   
shook his head and lifted his hand to brush her arm aside.  
  
"No," she said again, catching his wrist. "Niisan, the machine   
that Keller designed, it may be able to gather dimensional energies,   
but it can also cause rips between dimensions and people can get sucked   
through. It's happened once already and we need to send him back."  
  
A motion in the corner of her eyes as Keller took a few quick,   
jerky steps forwards, "What? That's not possible, nothing can break   
through dimensions."  
  
"How exactly does your machine work if it doesn't break through   
the barriers between dimensions?" Relena snapped, annoyed. "Your   
invention may be beneficial, but it is also dangerous."  
  
Zechs' eyes had narrowed through her speech and had become   
thoughtful, "Is this true?"  
  
Relena nodded once, a motion completely without doubt. She   
turned away from her brother finally and beckoned towards Julian, "I'd   
like you to meet Julian Peacecraft, Duo Maxwell's counterpart from one   
of these other dimensions."  
  
The masked soldier froze for a second then snorted, "You almost   
had me believing you for a moment there, Relena."  
  
Julian had moved, until he was standing next to Relena and he now   
reached a hand out towards the blonde, "Milliard? Niisan?"  
  
Zechs frowned at him.  
  
Relena caught his eyes once more, "Why would I lie about this,   
Niisan? What reason would I have? And even so, are you willing to   
risk it? In Julian's world Treize Khushrenada is an advocate for   
Absolute Pacifism, as are you. I am a Gundam pilot and they are   
winning."  
  
The frown remained on Zechs face, but he refrained from replying.  
  
Keller, who had been listening intently and studying Julian   
suddenly spoke up, "You know, now that I think about it, I guess it   
_is_ a possibility."  
  
Zechs turned towards the professor and glared.  
  
Then a group of soldiers burst into the room, past the frozen   
receptionist, and trained guns on everyone not wearing a red OZ   
uniform.  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Meiran fell back from where she had been standing next to   
Dorothy, who had been in the process of arguing furiously with   
Lieutenant Noin, when a handful of soldiers rushed into the room. She   
froze unwilling to make any sudden moves that would get her killed and   
noted her fellow pilots doing the same thing.  
  
It seemed Duo and Relena had been correct about the possibility   
of a military presence, beyond the single owner of the vehicle in the   
car park. She glanced to where Heero was sitting, his chest bound by   
strips of Professor Keller's lab coat. He had decided to attempt   
disarming Noin, and had paid the price. The woman was an excellent   
shot, rendering the Japanese pilot useless for the time being. Meiran   
had been glad when Quatre had assured them that he was still alive,   
though she'd spent the next few minutes muttering under her breath   
about the baka.  
  
Of course, she had to admit to herself, had Heero not made a   
move, it would have been her. And she had still tried, following Heero   
into action and ended up with a gun barrel in her face. Noin hadn't   
been off balance following Heero's attack and had bought the gun around   
before she'd gotten close enough to make a difference.  
  
It had been a standoff since then, Dorothy taking the chance to   
try to talk the other woman into sense, without success. Dorothy   
wasn't really a talker and Noin hadn't really listened. The capture of   
four Gundam pilots was far more important than listening to the   
granddaughter of Duke Dermail babble about dimensional energy and such.  
  
Meiran growled in frustration, but still didn't move. She hoped   
Relena and Duo knew about this and weren't about to walk into a trap.   
At least if they were free there was a chance that they'd be rescued.   
  
Glancing at Professor Keller, who was staring at the soldiers in   
astonishment, she also hoped that security around here wasn't going to   
be increased, or they'd find it even more difficult to get the machine   
and return Duo to his world.   
  
Heero was grabbed unceremoniously by two guards, despite Quatre's   
protests, and dragged out the door on Noin's orders. The others   
motioned with guns and herded the rest of them out into the corridor as   
well, heading back to the front entrance and custody.   
  
==========  
  
Relena swore fluidly for long moments as she watched her fellow   
pilots being pushed out into the corridor and Duo found himself   
admiring her vocabulary. The words ran through his mind, describing   
things for him as well as they did for her.  
  
"This is so not good."  
  
Duo nodded his head in agreement, his mind working fast, trying   
to figure something out, "We need to get them back before they leave   
the centre if possible. Once they've been put behind bars or whatever,   
it's going to be that much harder." As Duo continued he heard his   
voice turn harder and colder than most people would think possible, and   
he saw Relena looking at him in surprise, "I will _not_ let OZ fuck   
things up for me now."  
  
He dropped into silence as he watched the group of people   
continue on their way towards the entrance, then he was moving,   
wrenching the door open and stalking dangerously, on his way to an   
intercept.   
  
"Duo! What are you doing?"  
  
Duo didn't pause or even slow, "Noin will recognise Julian   
Peacecraft, correct?"  
  
An imperceptible movement at the corner of his eye indicated   
Relena's nod in the affirmative and he smiled unpleasantly, "And tell   
me, what do you think those soldiers will do if Noin is held at the   
point of a gun?"  
  
Relena remained silent for a few moments, then her lips stretched   
in a smile identical to his, "Whatever you say."  
  
"Good. You go get Keller, his machine and whatever else he says   
we'll need and meet us out the front."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Do it. I can handle Noin, but without the machine, all of this   
is for nothing and I'm not prepared to allow that. Go."  
  
Relena sighed and left at a sprint, leaving Duo to his seething.   
This Noin had dared to put his return home in jeopardy, had dared to   
take his new friends hostage and, if it was up to him, she was not   
going to get away with it. He fingered the gun tucked into the small   
of his back, under the black sweatshirt he'd managed to find in the   
back of Julian's closet. The small weight of a switchblade in his   
pocket and boot boosted both his spirits and his confidence.  
  
Abruptly, he stopped, his eyes on the door in front of him that   
would lead him into the reception area. He hoped the others hadn't   
arrived yet, but even if they were outside it was time to get ready.   
Tacking his newly acquired Julian-persona over the top of Shinigami, he   
stepped into the reception area, moving calmly towards the front door   
when he found himself alone. Glancing out through a window, he saw no   
sign of his friends, though there were two soldiers standing guard just   
outside the entrance.  
  
A smile briefly touched his lips, as he turned back to watch the   
door from which those he was expecting should emerge.   
  
Sure enough they did, led by Noin, and Duo took a few jerky steps   
forwards.  
  
"Lieutenant Noin!" he exclaimed shakily, eyeing the gun barrels   
that were digging into the sides of his friends. His eyes rested   
briefly on Heero, still hanging limply between the two guards. A flash   
of anger moved through him again, but he quickly suppressed it. He   
ignored the range of looks on everyone else's faces, choosing to return   
his attention towards his main focus.  
  
"Peacecraft. What are you doing here?"  
  
Duo moved closer to the lieutenant, "I-I... Heero..."  
  
An almost imperceptible expression of disgust crossed the woman's   
face and Duo decided he had obviously been right about OZ's   
intelligence knowing of Julian's obsession with Heero. Noin did not   
deign to answer, merely snorting and taking a step around Duo.  
  
Which was a big mistake.  
  
A hand caught her wrist, twisting it around and up, turning her   
entire body until it was facing the rest of the group, her arm bent   
behind her back. She was forced to her knees, the unexpected attack   
giving her no defence against it. A familiar noise broke loudly in her   
ear and her eyes widened at the sight of the revolver pointed at her   
temple.  
  
"Wha...?"  
  
"I believe Dorothy explained to you why we are here? I need to   
go home and I'm not about to let you or anyone stop me. Now let them   
go," an icy-cold voice whispered in her ear as the barrel became a   
greater pressure against her temple.  
  
Duo kept his eyes on the soldiers holding his friends as much as   
on Noin, "Dorothy, keep an eye on the door, let me know if the guards   
out there look like they're going to come in."  
  
"Hai, Duo-sama."  
  
The American blinked then grinned.  
  
"Since your superior officer here doesn't seem to want to give   
the order, I suggest you let them go. Unless you wish to explain to   
Lady Une why her friend ended up with a rather large hole in her head?"   
Duo, still grinning, tried a different tack, hoping the Lady Une of   
this world was as scary as the one in his.  
  
It seemed so, since a number of the soldiers' grips loosened,   
their guns drooping in wrists gone slack. Meiran, Quatre and Trowa   
took the chance to turn the tables, relieving the soldiers of those   
guns and using them against them. They also retrieved their own guns   
and moved towards Duo and Noin, whose expression had turned dark and   
threatening.  
  
Duo slammed the butt of his revolver against her head, sending   
her crashing to the floor, unconscious. He didn't really want to have   
to deal with her hostility for a while yet. A soldier took a step   
towards his superior but froze when the gun turned in his direction.  
  
Trowa and Quatre lifted Heero between them and headed in the   
direction of the door, preceded by Meiran who disabled the guards still   
lounging out the front.  
  
"Where's Relena?" Dorothy asked from beside him, her gun also   
trained on the guards, her foot resting against Noin's waist in a   
gesture that dared the OZ soldiers to make a move.  
  
"Coming."  
  
"Oh?" Dorothy questioned, but didn't receive an answer as Meiran   
came back inside.  
  
"We've got Heero in one of the jeeps, we're ready to go."  
  
An inclination of his head acknowledged her news, though his   
attention did not waver, "We'll just wait for Relena, she should be   
here any moment."  
  
As if summoned by the words, the blonde pilot pushed open the   
doors, Professor Keller marching in front of her, carrying a case in   
his arms. His face was pale with high spots of colour brushed along   
his cheekbones, in his fear and indignation.  
  
Relena paused at the scene that greeted her and nodded in   
approval at Duo before pushing Keller through the guards and continuing   
on out through the door. She delivered him into Quatre's custody and   
returned to the reception area, taking a hold of Noin's shoulders and   
pulling her along also.  
  
Once more a soldier made an aborted move in her direction, "We   
won't be taking her with us, but we want t make sure none of you try   
anything. We'll leave her out at the guard post for you to pick up."  
  
He backed out the doorway and slipped into the jeep beside his   
friends, not relaxing until Noin had been propped up against the guard   
post and they were a mile away from the centre.  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Relena glanced at her brother in the rear-view mirror, sitting   
next to a silent Julian in the backseat of the car. She frowned at the   
younger Peacecraft, wondering what was bothering him about the blonde   
next to him that he would keep sending small uncertain glances at the   
masked man. It seemed that Zechs was wondering too, because he   
suddenly turned to face the younger boy.  
  
"What?"  
  
Julian jumped, moving down the seat a little, but his eyes went   
to those obscured by the mask and frowned into them, "You're Milliard?   
Peacecraft?"  
  
Zechs' lips tightened in frustrated anger, likely a little   
annoyed that the information was now common knowledge amongst his   
enemies. "Yes," he gritted out.  
  
"Oh," Julian continued watching him silently and Zechs gave   
another frustrated hiss before choosing to ignore the braided boy.  
  
Relena felt a tug of sympathy for Julian, knowing that in his   
world he and Milliard were brothers and fairly close in many ways. To   
now be considered an enemy must be had to take.  
  
Pargan pulled the sedan off the road, turning into an isolated   
field after the jeep that carried the other Gundam pilots. Heero had   
protested the travel arrangements, but had been overruled by Zechs, his   
soldiers making sure things went the way he wanted them to, despite his   
agreeing to allow them to go and return Julian to his world. That he   
had decided to come with them, leaving behind all back up, was a   
surprise, but Zechs had looked at her upon entering the vehicle and   
spoken, "I expect you to talk them into letting me go too, once this is   
over."   
  
Relena had nodded her assurance, wondering how he could think   
otherwise, given their relationship. When she thought about it, she   
couldn't blame him for wanting to come with them, wanting to find out   
if he had been deceived or not. She didn't think he had any real   
doubts, but the idea was fantastic enough to warrant the small risk of   
going with a group of Gundam pilots.  
  
Climbing out of the vehicle, she gathered with the others at a   
point a little way beyond the vehicles her attention focused on Keller   
the way everyone else's was. The professor looked nervous, indignant   
and excited all at once, much to her amusement.  
  
She only hoped he had some idea of how to fix things so they   
could transplant Julian back into his world and bring Duo here.  
  
She watched Heero as he twitched nervously, staring at the   
professor with the full weight of his unnerving glare. He was trying   
his best not to get his hopes up, without success. His eyes   
continuously flickered towards Julian, when he wasn't busy silently   
harassing Keller, who had tuned him out and was fiddling with the   
machine sitting in the case in front of him.  
  
Quatre was talking quietly to the Professor, offering any   
assistance he could while Trowa stood vigil next to him. Wufei stood   
apart from everyone, watching Zechs suspiciously, and keeping watch for   
unexpected visitors. Her brother had crossed his arms, standing   
unmoving across from Wufei, his mask glinting in the sunlight and his   
hair moving gently to and fro in the breeze. Pargan stood next to her,   
a step closer to the Professor but still hanging back a little.  
  
"If we change the parameters here and here, that might do it,"   
Keller was earnestly explaining to Quatre. "You see, if I'm right then   
all that's needed is a little more power, so instead of merely breaking   
tapping into the vortex between dimensions, it will work it's way   
through into another dimension altogether."  
  
"Will it be the right dimension though?" the Arabian asked.  
  
"What?" Keller paused and looked up. He blinked, "I... I don't   
know."  
  
Quatre stared at him, his expression freezing into something she   
would never have expected from the infinitely kind pilot, "You don't   
know. Well, you'll keep trying until you find it then. We want Duo   
back."  
  
"Ah..." Keller cleared his throat nervously and bobbed his head   
down then up before turning back to the machine, much more comfortable   
with it's workings than with the strange blonde child beside him.  
  
No one spoke as they waited for the Professor to calibrate things   
as he thought necessary, each pondering their own thoughts. Julian   
moved to stand beside Relena and she entwined her arm in his for   
comfort, allowing him to draw strength from her as his tension   
increased with every second that passed.  
  
"I hate this," he muttered.  
  
"I know," she replied reassuringly, tightening her grip for a   
brief moment.  
  
"Okay, I think, maybe, it's ready," Keller spoke hesitantly to   
the group, looking around at everyone, who remained in their places.   
  
Julian took a deep breath and stepped forwards, "Okay, let's do   
it."  
  
Keller nodded, "Okay, once we're all a distance away, all you   
need to do is press this key here," he pointed his finger. "I'm   
assuming it works on a proximity basis, that's why we're all going to   
move back."  
  
Suiting action to words, he stood and quickly paced backwards   
until he was a good fifty feet away. Wufei and Zechs followed without   
question, Heero also going, a little more reluctantly.  
  
Relena watched them move and instead of moving away, she moved to   
stand in front of Julian. Placing her arms around his shoulders she   
hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to miss you,   
but be happy, Julian."  
  
Julian hugged her back and smiled shakily, "Yeah. You too."  
  
Relena nodded and walked away with Quatre and Trowa then turned   
to watch as Julian pressed the key indicated.  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Duo depressed the key he'd been instructed to and locked his eyes   
with Relena's, smiling his thanks to her as he waited for something to   
happen.   
  
A vaguely familiar pressure built behind his eyes and a blackness   
deeper than anything he'd known previously rolled over his   
consciousness, stretching him and pulling him within it's currents. He   
found himself being tossed through streams of painful energies that   
sparkled along his nerve-endings and tingled through his memories and   
self, twisting and turning, prodding and pricking until his mind   
decided 'enough' and shut itself down.  
  
==Owari, Chapter Nine==  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  



	10. Default Chapter Title

========================================  
  
Role Reversal  
By Sefilin  
  
========================================  
  
Disclaimers: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing copyright Sunrise,   
Bandai, Sotsu Agency  
  
Dedicated, as always, to Kellryn.  
  
==========  
  
Epilogue  
  
==========  
  
JULIAN'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Relena watched as Julian came to stand in front of them, not, as   
might be expected, immediately fussing over Heero who was still   
unconscious.   
  
Instead, he bowed deeply, "Thank you."  
  
Relena frowned, watching as he straightened, his eyes lingering   
on Heero's form. He turned away, seeing her watching him and smiled   
wryly, "I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused you, Heero and the   
others."  
  
Relena nodded, still watching him carefully as he brushed a hand   
through his bangs, another smile tugging at his lips for some reason.   
Without saying anything he stood before them, almost seeming to be   
waiting for a judgement. What for, Relena wasn't entirely sure, nor   
was she sure if it mattered as she stared into the still, sad depths of   
his eyes.  
  
Then she took a step forwards and took his hand in hers, smiling   
into those eyes, "Julian."  
  
His name was all she spoke because there was nothing else she   
could think of, having no idea what she wanted to say.  
  
And in the end, it was enough, because Julian looked at her hand   
holding his, looked up into her eyes and there was a very slight   
lightening in his own as he returned the pressure.   
  
They smiled at each other and though both of their thoughts were   
with other people, hers with Duo, his most likely with the world he'd   
left behind, they were also closer than they'd ever been.  
  
==========  
  
DUO'S HOME UNIVERSE:  
----------  
  
Heero watched as Julian threw his head back and screamed in   
agony. The braid moved to unseen currents and tiny sparkles of light   
danced across his pale skin. The boy arched backwards further, his   
hand coming off the machine where it had lain, as the scream continued.  
  
Heero took an involuntary step forwards, watching the body of the   
boy he loved in such pain. Wufei grabbed a hold of his arm, pulling   
him back and Heero remembered Keller's instructions to stay where they   
were. He tensed his own body in empathic reaction to the other boy's   
plight, wincing at the sudden increase in volume of the scream that   
tore its way from the vulnerable throat. He felt moisture gather in   
his eyes and blinked tit away, needing to see this, to share in this   
experience as well as he could without being in the middle of the   
invisible maelstrom that raged in front of them.  
  
Suddenly, the body fell silent, whatever strings that had been   
holding it up sliced as it fell limply to the ground and lay there,   
completely silent and unmoving.  
  
Drawing in a breath that was half sob, Heero continued to stand,   
Wufei's restraining hand still on his arm.   
  
No one was presently willing to risk the possibility that   
whatever it had been that had captured the body was still there, though   
Heero knew it wouldn't be long before he was compelled to cross the   
ground towards the fallen boy.  
  
Suddenly the body sat up, eyes blinking wide, "Eeergh. Man, that   
_hurt_. Remind me not to do that again."  
  
Heero's eyes widened, listening to the American accent and hope   
bloomed. Then violet eyes turned towards the group and stared at each   
of them in turn, taking them in from head to toe. A hand was pulled   
from where it lay limply in the boy's hands and rose to grasp at the   
nape of his neck. It grasped the braid firmly and gave a tug.  
  
Suddenly a wide grin broke out across the face, "Alright! I got   
the braid back." Jumping to his feet, the braided boy sent a withering   
glare at the machine sitting at his feet then bounced across to them.  
  
He stopped in front of Relena and demanded, "Who are you?"  
  
Relena blinked, "Um, Relena Peacecraft."  
  
"Who am I?"  
  
"Duo Maxwell, I hope."  
  
He stared at her, violet eyes shining suspiciously and whispered,   
"I'm home?"  
  
Relena smiled back, "I think so. You're Duo? Not Julian   
Peacecraft?"  
  
"Oh thank god," Duo said before laughing and grabbing the blonde   
girl, twirling her around, yelling 'I'm home!' at the top of his lungs.  
  
Heero felt a pang in his chest as he watched Relena laugh, her   
hair flying around her and turned abruptly away, not wanting to see   
this. Duo and Relena? That... a seed of emptiness began to grow in   
his chest as the American and the Peacecraft laughed together.  
  
Then he was tackled from behind, arms winding about his waist and   
chest, a face being buried in his shoulder, breath breaking across his   
skin as a familiar voice whispered, "Heero?"  
  
Heero froze.  
  
"H-Heero," the whisper broke on his name, "Heero. I missed you,   
I missed you, missed you..." Shaking, the voice drifted into silence as   
the arms tightened around him, and Heero felt himself slump, relaxing   
back into the embrace.  
  
"Duo..." he breathed, his head falling back to rest on his   
lover's shoulder.  
  
Neither of them moved for long, long moments as they rested in   
each other's company, reassuring themselves that they were back where   
they belonged. Heero allowed himself to drift, not noticing the   
tightness in his throat or the burning in his eyes as tears gathered   
and fell silently. Nor did he hear himself whisper the other's name   
over and over, in time to the heartbeat he was listening to.   
  
Broken breaths continued to break across his skin as Duo remained   
wrapped around him, his hand reaching for Heero's and clutching it   
tightly.  
  
Then the moment passed, other sounds and impressions intruding   
upon them and Heero came back to himself, realising he was still in the   
field with the other pilots, Zechs, Relena and her chauffeur. The   
presence of the tears on his face made themselves known and he felt   
heat rise into his face as he lifted his hands to wipe them away.   
  
Duo let him go them, turning him around and brushing his bangs   
away from his eyes. Heero stared back into the eyes that once again   
housed the soul he lived for.  
  
"Koi," Duo whispered, a familiar grin pulling at his lips and   
Heero found it irresistible, having been without it for so long. Duo's   
eyes widened at the sight of the shy smile on his face and he wrapped   
his arms around Heero again, squeezing hard, pecking him on the nose   
and laughing as he stepped away.  
  
Heero's eyes uncrossed and he looked across at his lover, the   
blush returning to his face.  
  
"Hey, Heero? Do you have a gun?"  
  
Uncertain why he was asking, Heero nodded.  
  
"Cool! Can I borrow it for a sec?"  
  
Heero nodded, handing it across and watched as Duo quickly ran   
through a check to make sure it was full and primed, then sprinted his   
way back across to the machine and fired the entire load into it.  
  
"No! No, no, no no nonononononononono! Don't do that!" Keller   
hurried over a little too late and, after seeing the damage done to the   
machine, stood aghast and stared.  
  
The others laughed and Heero felt the smile on his face again as   
he watched the braided American twirl the revolver on his finger as he   
sauntered back over. He paused as he noticed the silent observer, in   
the form of Zechs and tilted his head before heading in his direction.  
  
"Yo, you look one heck of a lot like Milliard, apart from the   
mask. You don't happen to be a Peacecraft in disguise, do you?"  
  
Zechs sighed, "Yes."   
  
"Ah," without warning, Duo glomped the blonde and cheered,   
"Niisan!"  
  
Staggering backwards under the sudden weight, Zechs sputtered,   
eyes wide, "What the...!?"  
  
Duo laughed and let him go, moving on, "I am in a fucking _great_   
mood, man. Damn, but it's great to be a Maxwell again, instead of a   
Peacecraft. No offence meant, Relena," he smiled at the girl who   
shrugged.  
  
"None taken, Duo."  
  
Duo paused at that, noticing the slightly sad look on her face   
and he frowned. He moved towards her, lifting her face to look into   
her eyes, "You okay?"  
  
Relena shrugged, "I guess. It's just, I _liked_ Julian."  
  
Duo nodded, "Doesn't surprise me. I liked Relena too, the other   
one, I mean."  
  
Heero watched them stare into each other's eyes and somehow an   
understanding was born between them as they saw beyond what they'd   
previously seen in each other; saw the potential for friendship rather   
than someone to avoid.  
  
"It's not easy, huh? Being who you are," Duo whispered, his hand   
still gently holding Relena's face up.  
  
She shook her head, "About as hard as being what you are, I   
should think."  
  
Duo brushed a few bangs away from the blue eyes gazing so   
intently into his and came to a realisation that changed his eyes into   
something infinitely warm, "You're not as different from the other   
Relena as I thought, and you know what?"  
  
Relena stared back, "What?"  
  
"I think I like you too."  
  
A smile broke out across Relena's face and she stepped forwards   
into the arms that closed around her in comfort.  
  
Heero saw Quatre smiling as he watched the two of them and   
frowned a little, wondering why he was no longer bothered by this, the   
way he was when Duo had swung the girl around earlier. Then he watched   
the happiness on their faces, the _friendship_ and shrugged, knowing   
that he didn't mind because, well, Relena wasn't quite as bad as he'd   
thought and he kind of liked her too.  
  
==Owari==  
  
http://www.geocities.com/sefilin/  
sefilin@yahoo.com  



End file.
